Hikari
by Kuti
Summary: AU, VH: Hitomi met him on that fateful day, a young man that will ultimately change her normal life forever. Will she accept her destiny and use the light to save a dying world?
1. Prologue: Believe

**_Disclaimer: From here on it, for the entire story, Escaflowne and the characters are NOT mine! This simply a fandom._**

…

_**Prologue: Believe**_

…

_ Rain poured heavily onto the many streets and landmarks of Tokyo, Japan, turning the hopes of the inhabitants' bliss of a warm spring season down. The clouds were unusually darker than someone would normally expect. But, the strange weather was not the main issue that caught the Tokyo inhabitants' eyes. Somewhere in Tokyo, a simple area was blazed in an inferno. The main cause was still a mystery. The once smoothed streets were crumpled and cracked, as if a horrible earthquake shattered the place. Most of the cars that were parked near the apartment complexes were mostly scattered, while some remained on the streets, crushed like crushed cans. Everything was in disarray. The usual hustle and bustle in the main streets of that very place now swarmed with frantic pedestrians trying to find a safe place from the dangers that lurked ahead. The once, every day rush hour traffic now looked like heaven compared to the horrible traffic jam that left drivers stuck bumper-to-bumper. If one were to look through a bird's point of view, the area looked as though it were the only area that was completely destroyed and jammed with cars._

_ "Catastrophe broke through the streets of Minato," said a female newscaster in one of the huge buildings that contained an array of huge televisions that overlooked Shibuya district's "Center Gai," with people walking on the four meeting crosswalks who watched curiously while waiting for their time to cross. The female disappeared, but her voice continued to talk as the screen now showed an up close look of the district's devastation. On the bottom portion of the screen, there were signs that read "Devastation in Minato."_

_ "What could possibly have caused such damage to a bustling, but peaceful area? We go now to Yamato-san on helicopter."_

_ Right in the middle of the traffic in Minato, a lone car was heading into the direction where danger lurked. In that very car, a young man with spiky, honey blonde hair fervently honked his horn, trying his best to let the others make him pass. His efforts were useless as no one would let him through. He banged his hands on the steering wheel, hazel eyes narrowed angrily._

_ "Damn!" he yelled irritably. "I don't have time for this!" On his radio, more news was spread about the status of the street. He raked his hands through his hair as he turned it off. "If I don't get there in time, she'll die!" There was only one way. He wondered effortlessly. If staying in this lane can't help, then he'll have to take drastic measures. Just before he could switch to the other lane, something immediately zoomed passed his side of the window, causing him to stop abruptly. A recognizable sound of a motorcycle revving sparked his eyes with hope. Immediately, he got out of his car. Just in time, he was able to see the small behind of the motorcyclist's back, the loose articles of his/her white over shirt floating through the wind. The young man's eyes suddenly softened as he recognized who the person was. Somehow, something white surrounded that very motorcyclist. He raised an eyebrow. He looked into the trail of the motorcyclist to see that he wasn't delusional. But, this uncanny display did not bother him. All that mattered was the true problem at hand._

_ "I'm counting on you…" was all he said, looking into the sky and prayed silently for luck to go on the lone figure's side._

_ ** …**_

_ "W-white…" said a tired, gentle voice that rang through the entire silence of the area. Slowly, the owner of the voice opened her emerald eyes to find the devastation around her. Shibia park was bitterly destroyed. It was filled with debris that one can find in a never-ending battle. The ground was filled with holes, trees burnt to crisps. The park that was once planted with the most beautiful flowers now seized to exist._

_ Light, suddenly, sparkled in front of her pale, tiresome face. She looked away from the horrible sight and cast her eyes upon a lone young man. He jumped out of his hiding place from the cherry blossom trees that were remarkably intact. One of his hands was lit, a strange red aura wrapping around that arm. The aura gathered around his hand and formed fire out of mid air. With one thrust, he hurtled that magic towards the demon, mustering his strength to increase the force in that fire. Yet, something green reflected that magic and caused it to move towards the young man. He couldn't move in time to dodge it and was hit directly. He fell to the ground without any effort to stand on his two feet._

_ "It won't work!" someone yelled from below. Her weary eyes followed that voice to see another young man on his knees, his long, dark brown hair that was tied into a high ponytail drifting from the wind that the strange green light projected. His physical state was the same as the young man with fire, but not as critical. "Every attack we try won't work against it…"_

_ "Damn…" uttered the young man with fire, struggling to get back on his feet. "And I…thought…I had it too…"_

_ "Don't strain yourself!" a new voice said behind the trees. Behind those trees sat a young woman, who had her arms extended to the ground with her hands placed on top of each other. A green aura was surrounding her, her blonde hair slightly lifting. "I can't call forth anything anymore. I would gladly heal you guys. But, the land's completely demolished and I can't ask for its help. It's drained as it is from trying to heal itself…"_

_ "Damn it all! C'mon! There has to be a way! Tell me ya have some more plans up in that intellect of yers!" He was directing his words to the man with glasses. But, he shook his head in dismay. The fiery young man clenched his fists and looked at the girl._

_ "I'm sorry," she said regretfully. "This is all I can do."_

_ He slammed his fists on the ground. "No! I won't accept this!" he yelled. He averted his eyes away from the girl and looked at another person that was far away from the trio. He pointed his finger critically at him as if accusing him for something he had done to put them in this situation. "And you! I thought you had a wit that's better than my best friend's! You said that you'll protect her with your life better than he can like some big typical hero! Why don't ya think of somethin' instead of standin' there like a scaredy cat! Why don't you save her, you freakin' hotshot!"_

_ The man that he was referring to looked at the situation solemnly, his battered blond hair waving with the harsh wind. His fists were tight on his side. His eyes averted to the young boy, blue eyes blazing angrily. "I will, once I think of something! I know how to fight better than him."_

_ "Tch, gimme a break, you cocky bastard!"_

_ "Look who's talking! Using all those ridiculous tricks of yours! All you've been doing is making it laugh at us. Some show off you are since you always brag about your powers!"_

_ "Yeah, yeah, whatever. At least I'm tryin' to make things better than just sitting there like you are!"_

_ "Fighting won't solve anything!" interrupted the girl who gave up a while ago on her powers. "Let's not give up! We'll find a way to rescue her!"_

_ "What other **WAY**! There's no way we can rescue her like this!" the fiery man said, slamming his fists on the floor. "If only he was freakin' here!"_

_ Hitomi looked on at her friends. They looked discouraged and miserable with the things that developed. Her heart was bursting in emotions, wanting to help her friends regain their fighting spirits. If only she had more strength to fight again, then she would gladly help them. "W-white…" she repeated again, this time much louder. This caused her friends to suddenly stop. "I see…white…" Slowly, she lifted her emerald eyes to the sky, dignity, courage, and hope brightening her morale. "He'll come. I'm sure he will…"_

_ During her little talk, her four friends seemed a bit in ease. Her words were definitely powerful, even though her voice was soft and a bit restrained from the monster's grip. Somehow, those words seemed to take away the tiredness they had throughout the entire battle._

_ A loud, sinister laugh interrupted that moment of optimism, causing everyone to jeer towards him cautiously. Hitomi gasped painfully when something started clenching her body painfully._

_ "Hitomi!" said the blond girl as she rushed towards Hitomi. But, the man with the glasses stopped her. She looked at him with a bewildered look in her eyes, but he calmly looked into hers and shook her head. She instantly relaxed and regretfully watched from the sidelines._

_ "Still believing in such hopeless thoughts?" boomed the voice. Slowly, Hitomi opened her eyes and looked at her opponent before her, huge, dark, and intimidating as it was when it gazed at her with those evil red eyes. "No one will save you now."_

_ Hitomi held strong, letting the words of her enemy pass through her mind. Even though she was in a great disposition, Hitomi still kept her optimism in check, holding in the negative side of her conscious. "He'll come…"_

_ The demon started laughing heartily, causing the whole place to shake. "What can he do? He can do nothing. He's worthless living being."_

_ Hitomi's eyes hardened with resolve, causing the monster to seize its laughter. If only she only had enough strength to call her powers. But she can't since she used it all up. "Even so," she said strongly. "I will believe in his strength, no matter what. I believe in him, no matter what. I trust him to set things right." Hitomi narrowed her eyes to prove her point and hardened her usual soft voice to express her bravery. "I know he will defeat you."_

_ The words she spoke seemed to affect the demon greatly. She could feel him begin to shake in fear. Suddenly, her body began to ache all over, causing her to scream in pain. She could barely hear her friends yelling, mustering whatever strength they had to stop the monster. With one mighty breath, Hitomi called loudly into the skies, hoping her words would reach the person in time. But, her voice was muffled by the demon's threatening laughter. All hope seemed impossible when Hitomi began to lose unconsciousness._

_ With her eyes closed, instead of seeing black entirely, white flashed in her closed eyelids continuously. It flashed so fast that she felt like she was having a seizure. Suddenly, before her mind blackened, the annoying laughter was suddenly replaced by a horrible screech. Hitomi opened her pain stricken eyes to find a glint of white that flashed in front of her eyes like a shooting star. Hitomi gasped and the blackness vanquished from her mind. "It's you!" she called._

_ Before Hitomi could say more, she felt the grip around her body loosened. After the final finger unwounded her body, she immediately fell. Just before she hit the ground, the fiery man instantly caught her with his own battered body. Slowly, after the soft impact, she reopened her eyes to clarify if that white light was real. Without a doubt, that flash of white light surrounded a figure not too far away from them, the body facing rigidly towards their opponent._

_ The pouring rain pelted on to the group's worn bodies. They watched and waited anxiously for their savior to finally reveal his ever obscure identity. Despite the harsh weather, the rain seemed warm and comforting, similar to a tropical rain. This relived the tension in the atmosphere._

_ "Hitomi…don't tell me that's him?" asked the fiery man with hope in his voice. The other three gathered around her, eyeing the figure that may have saved them from a bind. Hitomi's eyes glistened happily the moment her friend spoke of that question. She was glad that things were beginning to look up. She wiped away the stray tears with her fingers and nodded her head._

_ "I-I've…never witnessed this strength before. But, honestly, it feels so familiar," said the man with the glasses, awed by this newcomer's sudden entrance. From afar, Hitomi watched as her savoir changed positions, drawing out a long, thin object that looked like a sword._

_ "So many things have happened," Hitomi thought as the image of her savior slowly revealed himself, thunder and lightening crossing the dark, cloudy sky. Memories of a beautiful spring day under the cherry blossom trees filtered her mind. Right in front of her, she could see a young man, his clothes dancing nostalgically with the wind. He stood in that same position like he did before. "But, I was finally able to achieve everything…just to see you in person." A hint of the savior's clothes appeared, flapping gently against the harsh wind. Slowly, his face appeared under the light, lifting the bangs up to reveal his eyes. "And it all started…on that day…"_

** …**

_**Author's Note:**_

Hello, everyone! Miss me? Welcome to my second epic story known as "Hikari." As you may know, this fic will be very long. I am putting every detail I can in the plot in making this story enjoyable for you, the readers. I'll tell you some things about this fic. In the past, I had two fics up, one "One Sky, One Destiny" and the other "Sakura Destiny." I decided to delete these two fics because it didn't feel right to me. So, with much critical thinking and creativity, I combined these two stories, redevelop the plot, and made "Hikari." It's an Alternate Universe, but Gaea will still be the main area the characters will be in. However, that won't come until later on in the story. Right now, about at least the first 10 or more chapters will strictly be on developing the characters and the plot. Once they are set on Gaea, then the adventure really. I know there isn't much in the prologue and it's a bit confusing, but it will make sense as you read along the chapters. This prologue may have some changes and I may make some alterations to keep it consistent. I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes. I'm still looking for a beta reader. The next update will not come in for a while as I am going to school again so expect a slow update from me. I hope you enjoy reading the first installment of "Hikari." Please don't hesitate and tell me what you think by reviewing. I love to hear what you guys think. Thanks again for reading! Until then, bye-bye!

-Kuti


	2. Chapter 1: The Pendant

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or any other copyrighted material used in this fic. This is simply a fandom so please don't sue me!

Summary: Hitomi met him on that fateful day. A young man that will ultimately change her normal life forever. Will she accept her destiny and use the light to save a dying world?

…

_"You are surely my courage…_

_You are surely my light…"_

_-Chijou no Seiza…._

…

…

_**Hikari**_

**_Chapter 1: The Pendant_**

…

"_Did you hear them calling?"_

"_Calling?"_

"_Yes…the voices that speaks out to you…."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_Because I can hear them as well…"_

"_How do you know I was in trouble…?"_

"_I don't know. All I know is… I can also hear you…"_

"_!"_

"_I can feel your feelings…your fears…your distress. You were calling for someone to help you…"_

"_W-who are you?"_

"_I am the one who comes and protects the "one" who shall summon our deity from our world_. _Our deity is the only one who shall bring light to those in despair. She is the savoir of the universe."_

"_And you are the Chosen One…"_

…

It was a beautiful, spring morning when Hitomi opened her eyes, with the sky as blue as the ocean in her line of vision. She could see the clouds drifting by. The birds flew by, its chirps diminishing as it flew farther away from her.

Hitomi was on the rooftop of her school. She heaved a sigh and slowly sat up, redoing the low ponytail she had on since the beginning of school, but now was messed up when she laid on the cold concrete floor. After securely putting her low ponytail and placing it on her shoulder, she gaze once more at the sky, the gentle winds lifting her honey brown bangs and the lose articles of her school uniform.

_"It's him again…"_ Hitomi thought as she continued to stare dazedly towards the sky. "_Why? Why he come to my dreams and tells me that I'm the Chosen One?" _Hitomi shook her head and placed her face in her hands. _"I don't understand…"_

"Hitomi?" Hitomi lifted her head when she heard the voice. She turned around to see a girl that was her age with medium auburn hair coming towards. The girl was smiling as she knelt down a few feet behind Hitomi.

"Yukari," Hitomi said with a smile at her best friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, _baka_," Yukari said. "What are YOU doing here? You didn't come back in class. I thought you were just going to the restroom."

"I was. I just wanted to go out here to get some fresh air, you know since its spring…"

Yukari pouted. "O-kay…whatever you say. Come on and get your bottom up. It's lunch time. You're favorite time of the day." Hitomi's eyes brightened, forgetting the thoughts she had earlier. "Let's go to the vending machines and get some drinks for our lunch." With a nod, Hitomi stood on her two feet, dusting off her skirt and walked with her friend down to the second floor, where the juniors were. As they stepped down on the floor to their floor, students are already heading to their respective area during lunch, chattering flitering the once silent halls. Hitomi and Yukari went down one more floor to the vending machines in a little area next to the student store.

"So…what DID you really do to our English teacher in 2nd period today, Hitomi-chan?" Yukari snickered. Hitomi immediately stopped, her emerald eyes widened with surprise. "Oh now don't look surprise. You know what you did earlier this morning."

Hitomi sulked at the memory of it. During their English class with their gullible, strict English teacher, Takahashi-sensei, she happened to be sleeping in class. She had her textbook high enough so the teacher wouldn't notice. She would had gotten the way with it too if it weren't for her teacher calling on her to translate a prompt from English to Japanese. The next thing she woke up to find that she punched her teacher out cold. The students in her class were getting a kick out of it once she punched the teacher square in the face. Everyone thought she did it on purpose to get even with him. Truthfully, she didn't know. She even didn't even know she fell asleep.

"Yukari…you know I didn't know about it until I saw him lying on the floor, twitching like he was some kind of run-over rodent on the road," Hitomi said defensively.

"Run over rodent? That's…an interesting way to describe him…"

"Yukari…"

"I know, I know. I still can't get over what you said when you noticed no one was looking at the teacher who is surprisingly gone. You have the gall to say, 'Oh! Is it lunch already?' when everyone was looking at you. Hitomi, where was your brain? On vacation? Haha!"

_"No…more like in dreamland…I think…"_ Hitomi thought.

"But seriously, that made the highlight of everyone's day. It certainly highlighted mines." Yukari put some yen into a vending machine.

"I got in trouble by doing that," Hitomi said gloomily. "He was going to give me a week's detention for doing that…"

"But you got excuse from it," Yukari said, matter-of-factly. "It wasn't your fault that he's giving us a hard time and suddenly decide to do some really easy translation just because it's hard for us…."

Hitomi sighed.

"Don't worry, Hitomi-chan," said Yukari as she patted her friend who was sulking next to her. "I got to say though, you must have luck on your side. It's not like the second time you got excused. Let's not forget the tardiness you always manage everyday and always get excused from. And then the time you accidentally almost burned down the school when we were in science class, which by the way you got excused from again. And then--"

"Yukari! Please! Stop making me feel more guilty!" Hitomi said, sulking more to her knees.

Yukari shrugged her shoulders, reaching forward to grab their drinks. "Hey, I'm just saying that you are ONE lucky girl. You show determination in school so every teacher you know loves you. Well, except for our English teacher. Come to think of it, he deserved it."

"Yukari!" Hitomi yelled.

"Gomen, gomen, you know it's true…"

They started walking back to their classroom on the second floor after getting their drinks. "Come to think of it, I guess he didn't really like you because English is your worst subject."

Hitomi looked up suddenly, her eyes suddenly dazed. "Yukari, jump." Yukari did as she was told and jumped, following Hitomi's move. After landing, they continued on, just as an unfortunate student snagged an invisible line and four huge buckets full of water hurdled towards him and the other unsuspecting students who happened to be walking by the same area. Yukari gave a thumbs up to Hitomi with her impeccable timing and safely enter their classroom, ignoring a young man, who happened to be laughing his head off, was chased by a soaked, angry mob.

They finally reached their seats and started their lunch. As Yukari opened her drink, Hitomi's eyes gazed out into the sky, her cheery eyes remotely distant. "_Again…I am right,"_ she thought sadly.

"Your unnaturally not hungry today," said Yukari suddenly.

"What?" Hitomi asked, breaking away from her dazed state and looked at her friend, placing a small smile on her lips.

"You didn't open your bentou or your drink," Yukari said in a concerned voice. "Usually, you gobble that lunch down and unexpectedly steal mines. You're not your usual self today, Hitomi-chan…"

Hitomi looked away from her friend, replacing her small smile with a thoughtful, sad, and dazed expression. "I-I guess I'm not then…"

"Don't worry, it's probably just instincts. I mean, you do have a thing in predicting things. Look what you did for me and Amano. It's like we're meant to be you know. I'm grateful for that," Yukari reassured innocently, trying her best to cheer her friend.

"_That's not the problem,"_ she thought, putting a small piece of tempura to her mouth. Hitomi didn't want Yukari to worry about her and her trivial problems. Besides, how can she tell her that she had been having the same dream over and over again during night and day with her predications becoming more accurate day-by-day? Putting that in mind, Hitomi removed her sad, dazed look and strongly smiled at her, being the bubbly girl she is. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just worried over nothing. Shouldn't let that keep me down!"

Yukari smiled. "Now that's the Hitomi I know! And, just to make sure, I'll treat you down in Shibuya!"

"Arigatou for lunch, Yukari-chan!" Hitomi beamed happily as she opened her bentou.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Yukari looked at her lunch to see it completely gone. "Iie! My lunch! Hitomi," growled Yukari.

"My hunger returned. Besides, your mom cooks better than mine's does. Shouldn't you be happy that I'm back to my normal self, Yukari?" Hitomi stated innocently.

Yukari's eyebrows twitched. Maybe asking to bring Hitomi's cheery self wasn't a bright idea. "Why you…!"

"Hey, Hitomi-chan…" said a sultry voice behind them. Both girls stiffened the moment they heard that voice. They looked around to see three girls looking down on them, with a cocky look on their heavily caked faces. Their skins are tanned and had platinum blonde color on their natural black hair. They almost looked like triplets considering the style of hair, makeup, and fashion they donned. Yukari winced at their unexpected niceness towards them. "_And I thought Ganguro girls were extinct," _thought Yukari.

"You know, you shouldn't call my best friend that. It's disrespectful," Yukari retorted out loud after recovering from her initial shock of the three girls known as the Ganguro trio, who was widely known in their school.

"Why can't we? After all, we've known each other since middle school," said the girl with curly platinum blonde hair. Yukari clenched her fists. Yukari was about to deck the lights out of the girl when Hitomi suddenly stepped in between them.

"What is it you want, girls?" Hitomi stated firmly as she slowly turned around, gazing at the three girls. Of course, like Yukari, Hitomi tried her best to keep a happy face despite the fact she wanted to punch those girls ruthlessly. "State your business quickly so we can continue to enjoy lunch. If you're here just here for pleasantries then I suggest you leave." Yukari looked at her friend and smiled.

"Well then, since you don't want to chat then I should get right to the point. You see, there this is guy I have my eyes on and--"

"—and you want to know if he likes you," Hitomi said knowingly. She reached for her messenger bag and grabbed a deck of tarot cards from the small pouch in front. "I can see right through you, Kozue-san. Since that is the only reason you are talking to me…"

"Well, what I can say, I am desperate to find out if Yusaku-kun really likes me. So DESEPERATE that I have to talk to a freak like you." Her other two friends laughed along with her.

"Look who's talking?" murmured Yukari, apparently pointing out their style of makeup and hair dye.

"Yukari!" Hitomi whispered harshly.

"What?!" Yukari whispered back. "You know what I mean."

Hitomi sighed, ignored the girls' laughter, and started to do her task. For a while, she flipped a card, looking at its sign and meaning. After a good five minutes, Hitomi flipped the last card and put it down on her desk. Looking at the cards with mild interests, Hitomi leaned back on her chair after observing them, careful to look at each detail. With a satisfied smile, she said, unusually loud, "Based on what the cards, Yusaku-kun really does like you a lot. He is just too shy to even come out into the open. In time, you will find happiness with each other and fill a loving life." She paused for a moment. "I suggest you must confide with him and tell him your true feelings. Find a special place to tell him your feelings, like that tree over there…" Kozue looked through the windows to see a boy with brown hair. He was waiting patiently.

Kozue's eyes lightened and arrogantly turned to her friends, a smile appearing on her over-glossy lips. "I knew it! No wonder he was looking at my direction. Thanks a lot, freak. Even though you don't need my thanks. Let's go girls." The three girls left Hitomi and Yukari alone. Their laughter rang out through the halls. Hitomi simply ignored them and stared at the blackboard, a sad and angry look passing her face.

"Hitomi…" said Yukari, who noticed Hitomi's expression.

Just as Yukari called her name, an instant smile appeared on her face. As best she could, Hitomi tried to hold back her laughter. "Revenge is so sweet," Hitomi snickered.

"What are you talking about?" asked Yukari, who slammed her fists on her desk. "You just told her what she wanted! Those stupid, egotistical, Ganguro idiots! I can't believe you actually did that for her, especially after the way she treated you! She was the one who started calling you a weirdo just because you can predict what happens. Why, Hitomi? Why did you do it?"

Hitomi started to stalk her cards in a neat pile. "Well, if I didn't do it, they won't leave us alone until they get what they want. It's in their nature to be persistent. You should know since we've known them since elementary." She carefully put the cards back in its packet. "Besides, didn't you notice I "purposely" raise my voice?"

Yukari blinked a few times. "Huh?"

Hitomi giggled and looked at Yukari with a smug look on her face. "Normally, I wouldn't say in a loud voice when it comes to these things since I want everything to private. But this is an exception. I did it just so Kyoko-san could hear me," Hitomi said, proudly pointing at a girl with blue hair who was blushing. With a look of gratitude, she stood up from her seat and walked off to the place where the two shall meet and confess their feelings. "Wait, so you mean…"

"Hai," Hitomi said gleefully. "You see, Yusaku-kun came up to me one day about Kyoko-san. He wanted to be sure if she is the girl of his dreams. I told him the same thing I said Kozue-san. Kyoko happened to ask me the same question this morning between classes to see if it was the right moment to confess to him. I was about to do it during lunch, but Kozue got to me first. So, I had to intentionally raise my voice to make her listen. Kyoko-san is the right girl for Yusaku-kun."

Yukari's brightened by this new development and smiled just as smugly as Hitomi was. "Hehe, you sly girl. I can hardly wait to see her face. By the way, what is Kozue's true fortune anyways?"

"In short, she'll crash and burn and see a huge heart-wrenching future in a matter of minutes…" Yukari laughed. Hitomi smiled as her best friend began to converse something else with her other than bashing down the Ganguro trio.

Hitomi sighed. This was Hitomi's normal life. And she never expected this life to change. So, the day commenced as normal as life can be, with a day without excitement in Hitomi's life. Time flew quickly like the wind. Clouds drifted aimlessly with the sun shifting unnoticeably in the crystal blue sky. Oddly, before Hitomi could blink, school had ended for the day. Instead of being in the "go-home" club like most of the students, she went to track, her favorite time of the day. She was the best sprinter in the woman's team and was acknowledged by most of her peers. After three hours of practice, she gathered her stuff and walked with Yukari, hanging out in Shibuya for ice cream as Yukari promised earlier at school. And soon, that afternoon commenced on as well as the two friends had their fun in karaoke, played in the local arcade, window shopping, spotting cute guys and played a game if they imagine them dating the cute guy they spotted. They separated ways as time reached 8.

Hitomi finally returned home when the sky turned dark. Quietly opening the door to her apartment home, she went in, making sure to close the door quietly. She looked behind her. No one was there. With a happy sigh, Hitomi took off her shoes and put on her slippers, happily skipping to the kitchen.

"And just where have you been!?" boomed a voice behind her.

Hitomi toppled to the floor when she heard that voice. It scared her to the point where her life seemed to pass before her eyes. Looming over her toppled body stood a young man with slightly spiked, messy honey brown hair with angry hazel eyes.

"O-o-oniichan! Don't DO that!" Hitomi yelled, instantly getting up when her older brother started laughing his head off.

"You thought I was Okaasan, huh? That fall was priceless! You should have seen your face! Haha! That's my little sister for you!" he laughed. After he took in his perfect moment, he sat himself on a chair in the dining table and poured hot water in his bowl of instant ramen. "I just wanted to scare you." He started pouring his boiling water into his ramen as Hitomi sat on the seat next to him, fixated to get revenge on him. "Anyways, Hito-chan, don't come home at this time or mom will have a fit again."

Hitomi kept on starring at him as if he was her mortal enemy. He looked back and noticed the irritable look in her eyes. "What?"

"YOU!" she said and pointed at him. "How dare you not make me one! I'm your little sister and big brothers like you should take care of me!"

Raising an eyebrow, he looked down to see the ramen bowl and sighed. "Geez, and what happened to 'How are you" to your older brother from my sweet little sister?" He sat up from his seat and grabbed two cups from the cabinet. He poured in cold green tea in the two cups. After placing the lid, he grabbed the two cups and went to the dining table. "Anyways, did you have fun with Yukari today?" He gave Hitomi her refreshing drink.

"Arigatou, Oniichan!" Hitomi beamed.

"NANI?! Where's my ramen?!" yelled Mamoru. "I could have sworn I left it here!" Slowly, he turned to his little sister to see another innocent smile on her face, catching the remains of his precious meal on her left side of her lip. He sneered. "Hito-chan…"

"What? I'm suddenly hungry," Hitomi simply stated. "Arigatou!"

"And that was the last one too. Back to the grocery store…" he said as he hung his head in defeat. For the next five minutes, Hitomi began explaining her time with Yukari. Mamoru is her older brother. They get along really well. He was always there for her whenever she needed help. She would always talk to him about everything. Well, almost everything except boys. Whenever she mentioned something about a guy she saw or had a crush on, the overprotective older brother side of him comes in, who had shovel and a baseball bat in his closet (literally), ready to be used for a well-needed smack down to vent his rage if anything happens to his precious little sister. Hitomi gets nervous when she sees this side of him, completely humiliated. She should be happy since there was no boy that caught her interests. For the moment, at least.

After five minutes of conversation, the two siblings sat there in silence as they gazed at their own respective cups, hearing the faint sound of their clock ticking away in the silent room. Slowly, his brother eyed his little sister closely, seeing the dazed, sleepy look in her usual cheery emerald eyes. This came so suddenly right after she explained her day pleasantly. This was no surprise to him. He leaned back in his chair after observing a little more, sighing upward as he looked at the ceiling.

"Hito-chan," he said, breaking the silence.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Hitomi's eyes widened. She looked at him to see him glancing worriedly at her. "Yukari-chan and you don't usually go all the way to Shibuya to grab some ice cream. And normally, when you want ice cream, you come home and eat it out of the carton after track practice. You wouldn't spend time down there since you have a dozen full of ice cream here." He paused for a moment thoughtfully. "I'm assuming that you went to karaoke and window shopping while checking out some hot guys." Hitomi cringed. Right on two marks. That's her brother all right. He's brilliant at such a young age with great observation skills. He actually made it into Tokyo University two years ago to become a great doctor. He's got the looks, the body, and the brains. He's the whole package. Everything, except he's ninety-nine percent dense. The other percent goes to his unpredictable mind and unexplainable craziness over video games and anime. "So, what is it? Did something happen today?"

Hitomi looked down at her lap, hands clenched together. "You noticed huh? I can never hide anything from you," she said, gazing sadly at her hands.

"Is it those Ganguro girls teasing you? I thought they were extinct." Mamoru began to laugh as he tried to keep the atmosphere light. But Hitomi didn't respond. She simply shook her head, still hesitant to state her real problem. He sighed. "Or, is it that dream again?" he asked, knowing the full extent of her sister's mind.

For a moment, a pause came between them. Hitomi twiddle her fingers thoughtfully, nervously trying to think of what to say. Slowly, she nodded her head and sighed. "I can't get off my head. Every time I close my eyes. I would always see that dream. I would always hear that voice. It never stops. I can't get enough sleep at home. I don't even know I slept in class until I find my English teacher on the floor, with a huge purple bump on his side."

"Hehe, serves him right," he snickered.

"Mamoru, I'm trying to be serious here!" Hitomi scolded.

"Sorry, sorry, continue…"

"Anyways, the point is, why am I dreaming of this? Why am I dreaming something that I am not part of? I can't shake this feeling that something big will happen. It felt like…something important is coming…"

Mamoru sighed for a moment as he gazed at the ceiling again. "Maybe the dream is symbolic."

"Symbolic?" Hitomi asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, sometimes dreams have no meaning. But sometimes they do…"

"What should I do then?"

"I guess you just have to wait it out. Maybe your dream usually means a sign of stress you know. You have been stressing a lot lately in school," he said. "With college coming up, exams coming at you from every corner, and you have to deal with snobbish people who only sees you as a weirdo considering you have this knick in predicting things at the right moment." Hitomi cocked her head, wondering where her brother was going. When he noticed the confused look, he sighed. "I'm just saying don't over do it. I don't want my only sister to stress over nothing." He patted Hitomi's head lightly and smiled. "Things will get better, don't worry."

A small smile appeared on her lips. Hitomi was thankful that she has an overprotective brother by her side. "Thanks, Oniichan…"

"Now, go to your room and get some rests. Don't study unless it is necessary. You study too much to the point you study little things that are really not important. Just be sure you have a lot of sleep."

"Un!" Hitomi nodded and slowly stood up, skipping happily to her room. Mamoru smiled as he watched Hitomi disappear to her room. "Now, back to the damn grocery store. One of these days I'll die from hunger from Hito-chan's gluttonous stomach."

Moments after Mamoru left for the nearest grocery store, Hitomi closed the door behind her. With a bright smile, she rolled her sleeves and dropped her bag on top of her desk, a determined look in her eyes. "Yosh…time to study!!"

---

It had been nearly three hours since Hitomi began her tedious study time, writing here and there and reading the context in her books over and over again until she was able to understand the topic. It was three o clock when Hitomi reached the end of the chapter. She triumphantly stretched her arms and sighed. "That's it for that class. Now for a break."

Neatly, she packed her books in a single pile and set them aside. With another sigh from her lips, she sat up from her seat and gazed at the beautiful cityscape before her. From afar, she could see the moon rising up in the night sky. The stars twinkled faintly against the city lights. From her room, her surroundings are quiet and peaceful, making her feel as if she was down in the countryside, smelling fresh air and see the expansion of green trees. She wished Tokyo was like the countryside. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a single pink petal floated through her window, gliding gracefully down and landed in one of her opened textbooks. Hitomi's eyes followed that little petal. Curious, she looked at the pink little thing in her textbook. Slowly, she reached for it with careful hands, studying its pure features.

With one simple look, her eyes suddenly dilated and everything around went instantly black. Panic filtered her mind as she looked around, trying to find her room. "What is this?" she asked worriedly.

_Petals suddenly surrounded her. In her area, she was surrounded by rows of cherry blossom trees, holding the many pink petals in each of its branches. It was night, as the atmosphere felt nostalgic to her senses. The moon was in full bloom as it lightened the entire area with its faint glow. Under the rows of trees, several feet away from Hitomi, stood a figure, its head looking towards the sky._

Hitomi shook her head and shut her book. She removed the single leaf from its perch in the corner of her books. She walked to her open window and leaned against it, observing the pink leaf close to her eyes. Somehow, the quiet night added some familiarity with the pink petal.

_ "Do hear them calling…?"_

Pain suddenly shot through Hitomi's mind as she grasped her head with her hand. "Not again," she said.

_Suddenly, a wildfire shot at the far south side of the scenery, causing her to jump and scream astonishingly. Red diminished the light on the south side immediately._

"_Whenever you are in trouble…."_

_On the west side, a huge tsunami crashed into the trees, a blue light highlighting the once serene area._

"_I will be there to protect you…"_

_A violent wind came from the east, with yellow swallowing the tranquil setting. Soon, the earth shook uncontrollably, causing upheavals to the north side, filling that area with its green light. _

_Everywhere, all the sides of the scenery were completely wrecked, with the middle being the only stronghold for Hitomi to stand. Before she could even think, the earth began to shake violently once more, causing the entire middle part to collapse. It was then that she felt herself falling into the black void._

"_Until you find them, I shall reveal myself…"_

_A white light appeared above her. She looked up to that light to see white feathers falling everywhere. There, coming out of the white light, a figure came towards her, shrouded in white._

Hitomi gasped when the pink little petal from her hands flew onto her eye and drifted off into the sky. Hitomi grasped her head as she watched the petal disappear from her sight. Her head still ached. "What am I dreaming of?" Hitomi asked herself. "Why do I have these dreams?" She looked at the dark sky to see the stars blinking luminously. Slowly, she shook her head and closed her bedroom window. "Maybe Oniichan is right. I probably am stressed…"

With that conclusion, Hitomi proceeded back to her studies, hoping that dream would not return.

---

The early morning rays spread through the slightly open blinds in a room filled with decorations on the wall. Hitomi mumbled under her sheets and turned around, with her head sticking out of the covers. The sun's warm rays hit the side of her face.

"Umm…not now…" Hitomi groaned, covering her head once more under the covers.

Just as the person was about to fall back into dreamworld, a loud thud came from her door, causing Hitomi to sit straight up, surprise etched through her face. "Huh? What?" she said half asleep.

"Hito-chan, wake up!" said Mamoru from the other side of the door. "Hito-chan! _Kuso_! You better be up!"

Irritated, Hitomi stared at the door with an evil glint. "Oniichan! It's too early! Can't I have a few hours of sleep?" she asked. "School does not start until 8!"

"Hitomi! For crying out loud! Don't you realize what time it is?!" her brother said.

"It's too early to be soo late. I'm telling you it's early…" Hitomi decided to take this time to rest her head on her pillow. She looked at her clock on her nightstand to prove that she was right. Suddenly, her once sleepy eyes shot wide open. With one deep breath, she uttered the only thing she can think of at that moment:

"IIIEEEE!" Birds started to fly away, a passer-by stopped when he heard that sound, and the cars' alarms outside turned on.

"Geez…here we go again!"

**_…_**

Hurriedly, Hitomi ran out of the train station, trying to put on her school blazer as she made a sharp right. "Oh my god! What's wrong with me?!" Hitomi wailed hurriedly as she stuffed her books inside her brown school bag. She opened the same book she read this morning before her panick attack and immediately scorned. "A magazine for odangos? Why was I reading this? Oh yeah, I was hungry." She immediately shook her head. "No, no, no! There's no time to think about that! I'm going to be late!" She looked at her watch and it read 7:45am. She was glad she made it in time to catch the train. But, it's not helping her situation since the school was only a mile away from the train station. Determined to beat time, Hitomi quickened her pace and zoomed through the crowded sidewalks, avoiding one person after another with her incredible speed. She looked at her watch again and increased her speed even more. She ran and ran, controlling her breathing so she wouldn't be breathless.

"Although I may be good at sprinting," she said as she swerved to the right to avoid a person reading a newspaper. "It still doesn't even give me any justice for being late all the time. Sensei is really going to be furious this time!"

She turned left and cut through another street, her usual shortcut to get to school faster. As she passed quickly by, she could see different students in different uniforms heading their way to school. "Oh I don't have time for this!" she said, noticing a crowd of students blocking her way. With deep breath, she hollered at them. "Excuse me!"

"And get this…did you see the latest--"

"Excuse me! Gomen! Watch out! I'm late!" Hitomi screamed and zoomed passed the poor students.

"Wah! Look out! It's her again!" screamed another student in another crowd in front warningly. They quickly disperse, letting Hitomi speed passed them. "Gomen nasi!!!" she yelled.

After cutting through the crowd, she turned right, heading towards her school. She smiled proudly. "Yes! This time, I will make my record time! I might be able to make it to school on time for once! No more guilt trip for me!" The view of her school was in her line of vision.

"Almost there! Almost there! Almost there! Almost there! Almost-"

Suddenly, her mind didn't focus on making it in time in school. Rather, her mind was filled with pain. Hitomi grimaced and held her head. A ringing sound suddenly came from her ears and eliminated any sound from outside.

_A young man's back faced her in her line of path. Another flash came and cut that scene and switched to a necklace flying somewhere. Suddenly, the image flashed into another to show the young man lying on the floor, facing her. _

"_Ahou, what are you looking at?!" _

Hitomi shook her head and tried to get of those images. But, as she looked up, she suddenly crashed into someone.

"I-I-ittai!" she screamed. "_What in the world just happened?"_

"Will you watch it?!" retorted a deep voice in front of her.

Hitomi's eyes suddenly shoot open, her eyebrows twitching annoyingly. Hitomi quickly stood up and looked directly at his face. Somehow, gazing at his face looked awfully familiar. She could see the color of his eyes, reddish-brownish, and his unruly dark hair from the shadows. She couldn't identify his uniform since Hitomi was so focused on his face and the familiar feeling she had. For a moment, Hitomi's mouth hung open.

"Ahou, what are you looking at?!"

She wanted to apologize in a polite way because she knew it was her fault. But, the word "Ahou" kept repeating in her mind. All reason to apologize left her mind. Without a second thought, she confronted him. "Idiot?! Why are you calling me an idiot!? How dare you call a girl an idiot!"

"Well, excuse me! You're the one pissing everyone off just because you're late! Who would be such an idiot to do such a thing like that?! What kind of role model are you setting?!"

"Oh? And you think you're setting a good role model by calling a girl an idiot, _Ikkoku_-kun! Do you HAVE any decency?!"

The boy's reddish-brown eyes was startled at first. That disappeared immediately as the eyes turned lethal. "_Ikkoku_-kun?! Who you calling a hot-head?!"

"YOU! Move it or I might run you over. I only have 5 more minutes until 8!"

"Five more minutes until 8. Ahou, it's passed 8!"

"Yeah, right! You're just saying that so you can ruin my life!" she said as she started to get up, dusting off her skirt.

"Look at your watch!" he countered.

"Fine, I'll listen to you once but if you're wrong, then I'll kick your slow behind to the farthest galaxy." Looking at her left wrist, she looked at her watch. For a moment, she stared at it, watching as the small hand clicked every second. Then, all of a sudden, her eyes shot wide. "Oh no! Not again!!"

"Ahou, I told you so," said the man coldly, dusting his pants.

Shaking angrily, she turned around. "Why I oughta…!"

"Well, good luck going to school on time…even though I doubt you'll make it! Ja ne!" he said, and left her standing.

"Huh?! W-wait a minute!" He continued to walk. "I'm not done with you yet, _Ikkoku_-kun!!" Before long, he disappeared. Hitomi couldn't believe this man. Who does he think he is? "Well, he's got one thing coming if he keeps up that hot-headed attitude of his. His name will be Ikkoku-kun from now on if I ever see him again…"

With that said, she started to pick up her fallen stuff. Out of all days, she had to leave her bag open. Why can't she be organized for once? After grabbing another textbook that landed were the boy landed, something pink and gold caught Hitomi's eyes.

"Huh?" she said. Her hand stayed in midair as her eyes slowly set on that beautiful mix of color as if she was a bee drawn to a beautiful flower. Shining beautifully on the cemented gray ground, a pretty teardrop pink pendant laid.

Hitomi's eyes momentarily looked at the object. Something about this scene made her feel a sense of déjà vu. Something about the beautiful necklace on the ground made her mind boggle. Slowly, she let her hand graze the cold object on the floor, cradling gently in her hands. She looked at it, watching it glimmer underneath the morning sun. The necklace was truly beautiful. She never crossed anything like this before.

"But whose necklace is this?" she asked as she looked around her. No one around seemed a bit interested in what she was holding in her hands. And if it was that jerk's necklace, he would had come right away for it, considering he looked like a punctual, neat-freak kind of guy. Once more, she gazed at it, letting it dangle from her hand, as the necklace moved left to right in seconds, like a clock. "Strange. I've never seen a necklace do that before…" She looked around to see that no one was around her. "Oh shoot! I forgot! I better get going." She looked at the necklace once more and shrugged. "Well, I'll just keep it for now until I find the owner of this necklace." Hitomi put the necklace in her bag, making sure it was in a good and secure area. Locking her pack firmly, she dashed off into the direction of her school.

As Hitomi ran innocently to her school, she was unaware of a dark presence that lingered above the trees. In that very tree, four pairs of eyes followed her until she disappeared.

"We found _you_…"

---

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! Thank you all for reviewing. I'm glad that most of you are interested in this story. I know it's Au-ish, but I'm trying to do something different. It's still somewhat follows the Escaflowne plot, but with a twist. I'll try my best to keep the characters' personality the same.

There are some questions I would like for to answer, if you can. How would you describe each of the Escaflowne characters? I want you to answer it for me so I can have a generalized ideal of each character and how I should portray them. I want to hear everyone's opinion of each character since it will give me a better idea than just sticking with my own opinions about them. Also, I want to ask your ideas of this story or what you want to see in this fic. So I can incorporate it into the story as much as I could.

From here on out, there will be a lot of character and plot development in this first part of the story. What I mean by first part is not the chapter, but for the following 12-13 chapters. This part will mostly focus on developing the characters. I think I already mentioned it in the prologue, did I? I know the chapter at the moment is boring, but right now, I'm focusing on developing Hitomi's role into this plot as the main female protagonists of this story. I'll be portraying her as a typical high school student, but with special abilities that will begin to grow from here until the end, especially her personality. So please bare with the first couple of chapters.

As for Van, well, he'll be appearing soon. Although brief for this chapter and the next. Like I said, chapter one was suppose to be long, but I decided to cut it. His appearance will be more continuous very shortly. I'm not good with dialogue, so I did the best as I could, especially the part with Hitomi and him for the first meeting. I wasn't sure how they would talk, but I wanted to express "bad first impression." That's what they had for each other when they first met, right? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

In other news, chapter 2 will be coming up. I'm not sure as of yet. It took me a while to make this chapter (which I'm sorry about. It took longer than expected). I want to work on it more, but apparently school has now become a major influence in my life, now that I got into the nursing program. I hoped to write this fanfic when I have a breather from studying and writing care plans, XX.

Also, during that chapter, I mentioned a Ganguro trio. I'm not making any remarks on that at all. I apologize if I'm offending everyone. I just remembered seeing a video of Red Hot Chili Peppers in their tour in Japan one day with my sister. I just remembered them making a "documentary" of them and thought it was funny. I just happened to be in that laughing mood that I decided to put in there just for a laugh I guess. It's also a fashion choice in Japan. I'm not sure if it's current.

Hmmm….anything else? Oh yes, some of you were asking about questions in the reviews, such as when who's who in the confusing prologue of this story. Unfortunately, those questions will not be answered. It's going to spoil the plot if I do. Sorry. Just stick around and your questions will be answered as you read along. Again, if you have any complaints, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you guys so much for reading! Love you guys. Until next time!

-Kuti


	3. Chapter 2: Destiny's Door

…

_**Chapter 2: **_

_**Destiny's Door**_

…

"WHAT a day!" Hitomi sighed tiredly as she stretched both of her arms after a good practice in track.

"And so we have it ladies and gentlemen. Another Hitomi specialty. Being thirty minutes late for homeroom class," Yukari said, sticking her index finger with a knowing look. "And another excuse by our teacher's respect to you because of your undying devotion to school."

"And Yukari's devotion to keep telling me," Hitomi followed. "Yukari, please stop doing that already! You've been saying that all morning!"

Yukari giggled as she put her arm around her friend's shoulder. "You know I like teasing you, Hitomi. Anyways, since that hard math tests is over, let's go and eat."

"YES!" Hitomi screamed excitedly, making everyone in the sidewalk look in her direction.

"And you're paying this time…"

Hitomi's eyes widened. "Nani?! Why?"

"Because you practically ate all my lunch today. Remember…an eye for eye…"

"And a meal for a meal, right, right," Hitomi sighed depressingly.

"I knew you see it my way," Yukari laughed. Both girls giggled as they started to close in on a small restaurant. Before Yukari opened the door, Hitomi suddenly stopped in her tracks as she stopped laughing, a pale look on her face. Yukari stopped when she noticed that her friend stopped in midair. "Hitomi, daijobou?"

Hitomi's eyes narrowed as she felt someone's eyes lingering on her back. Fists curled on her sides, she looked around to find that source. To her surprise, she didn't find anyone that was looking at her. Hitomi started getting worried. She turned her head and looked at the ground thoughtfully.

"Hitomi…?"

"Yukari," Hitomi began as she turned to her right, feeling that same feeling, only this time, these eyes were different. "Do you feel like we're being watched…?"

Yukari raised an eyebrow, confused. "No…I don't think so…"

Hitomi whirled completely behind her. No one was there again. Her heart started to pound against her chest. Slowly, she put her hand to her heart, panting heavily. "What is this? What is feeling?" she asked subconsciously. Hitomi turned to Yukari with another worried look. "Yukari… I think we should be careful. I have this feeling…that someone IS watching us…"

"Are you sure about this?" Yukari asked, just as cautiously.

"Believe me, Yukari, I am never wrong…"

Slowly, the girls cautiously went into the restaurant, looking side to side to see if anyone suspicious were looking at them. As soon as it was safe, they entered the restaurant.

Just as they closed the door to the restaurant, a woman in her middle ages, with long honey hair tied to pony tail appeared before them, tired, pale blue eyes looking at the two young girls. Her eyes met Hitomi's brighter green eyes. An uneasy smile passed on Hitomi's lips. "Hi!"

Yukari, who was confused at the moment, looked around the little restaurant. She went outside to see the restaurant name. She frowned once her gaze settled on the sign. "It figures. She's broke. So she brought me to her mom's restaurant…that sly girl…"

Hitomi's mother still looked at Hitomi as both girls took their seats. Without greeting her own daughter back, she coldly turned her back and continued on with her work. Hitomi didn't seem shocked when her mother gave her the cold shoulder. Hitomi simply smiled and nodded understandingly.

Yukari watched the two family members at work. Hitomi started opening her bag and grab her books to start studying. Yukari looked to Hitomi's mother's way as she too looked at Hitomi with an observant eye. Looking into her blue eyes was all the confirmation she needed. With a look of disgust, her mother turned and returned to work. Yukari watched Hitomi's mother try her best in dealing with all the customers, with only a few coworkers and a single chef helping around the restaurant.

"Hitomi, why don't you help your mother out?" Yukari suggested, in hopes of lifting the uncomfortable atmosphere.

Hitomi momentarily stopped writing on her paper, her small pink mechanical pencil stood only a few centimeters away from the lined paper. For a while, Hitomi remained silent. As the silence grew, her hand started shaking nervously. Her eyes remained glued on her paper, her bangs covering her eyes to hide her emotions. Slowly, with one sigh, she placed her pencil on her paper and started writing. "Yukari, I would gladly help mom. I really would. But…simply…I…can't. You know…"

Yukari looked at her friend to see her shaking. She isn't shaking out anger or being nervous. It was something else. Yukari's eyes closed and heaved a sigh. "I see," she said, looking at her friend with a considerate smile. "It's okay. Don't worry. I shouldn't have brought it up. Do you want to do anything after this?"

Hitomi simply nodded and continued writing. Yukari looked back at her friend, a sad look appeared in her brown eyes.

"Through her eyes, I am simply…nonexistent in her world," Hitomi said sadly to herself, gazing at her book.

---

Closing time was near as the customers left. Her mother was finishing up the last remains of the dishes. Yukari and Hitomi were still in the restaurant, tending to the things that Hitomi's mother had not got to. After wiping the last table, Hitomi's mother passed by them, purse in hand, without taking notice of her daughter and her best friend.

"Okaasan…do you want me to lock-" Before she could finish her question, her mother slid the door nonchalantly in front of her.

Not a single sound passed between Hitomi and Yukari the moment her mother closed the door. Hitomi's eyes remained glued on the fleeting form of her mother. Yukari could see the pain coursing through Hitomi's eyes, despite the fact that she remained unemotional about what her mother did. "Hitomi…"

Hitomi turned her downcast face to Yukari and smiled. "Well, shall we?" Yukari blinked for a while. First, Hitomi looked like she was about to cry. Then, as quick as a flick of a light switch, Hitomi smiled as if that previous event with her mother didn't affect her. Yukari regained her composure and shook her head, smiling back. Gathering their stuff, they made some last checks to see everything was all safe and locked the doors to the restaurant.

For the next thirty minutes, they started walking towards their homes, talking about anything they can think of as they walked along without a care in the world of what people think or what might happen to them. It was almost a quarter until seven when they finally reached Yukari's neighborhood. "Hitomi, are you sure you will be okay by yourself?" her friend asked.

"Don't worry, you know my house is not far from yours. I'll be fine," Hitomi reassured. "And I have good self-defense skills. Trust me."

A smile appeared on Yukari's face. "Okay then, Oyasumi!" she greeted cheerfully and ran to her house.

"Oyasumi!" Hitomi called back, waving at her friend. As soon as her friend disappeared into her house, Hitomi started walking to her block.

Minutes after she exited Yukari's neighborhood, Hitomi walked along, one thought after another coming through her mind. "Okaasan's still ignoring me. I really wish I can talk to her, but it's hard. At least Oniichan's with me…"

Hitomi wanted to go home. But, she didn't feel like it. Somehow, it's always her routine to go somewhere else whenever she stops by her mother's restaurant. She went to the nearest train station leading home. After settling down, she gazed out of the window to see the coastline and the beach that was near her home. "Otousan," Hitomi whispered to herself. "I'm trying my best. I just don't know what to do with Okaasan. Will we ever talk normally?"

Out through the window, she can see the full moon in the dark blue sky. Somehow, she felt nostalgia when she gazed at the moon. Suddenly, she had this urge to go somewhere. Somewhere that was peaceful and quiet where she could clear her mind. Then, her mind remembered the pink leaf that flew off last night. She wanted to see the cherry blossoms. She decided to break the rules a bit and go out for once to relax. The train stopped as soon as she made up her mind and took the path to the one place where the cherry blossoms are gloriously shown and the place is quiet.

Hitomi walked through an empty alley, deciding not to take the city sidewalk. She took the shorter way just so she can get away from the bustling city. She only took a few steps when suddenly, her mind ached again. Her vision became hazy the moment that ache came, causing her to stumble a bit until she regained her balance by sitting against the wall. Along with the aches, she heard a sharp ringing in ear. She jerked her hand to her head and leaned on it as if her life depended on it.

"_Help our world…"_

_"Not again," _Hitomi thought, grasping her head in pain. She clenched teeth.

The words never left her mind. Endlessly, it kept repeating itself many times to the point Hitomi can memorize it by heart. Hitomi looked up to the sky, in hopes of answering her questions; Question about everything that was confusing right now. Destiny. The voice. The figure bathed under the white light. The colors blue, green, red, green, white, and black. The sounds of a clock ticking. The pendant. Everything from her reoccurring vision kept repeating itself in her mind. These images made her feel as if she was still in that vision.

Slowly, her free hand unconsciously grasped the pink pendant. It felt surprisingly warm when she touched it. Suddenly, the ache in her mind, the ringing in her ear, and the visions immediately disappeared. She opened her eyes and looked at the glowing pendant in the palm of her hand. How beautiful it looked under the dark night. Hitomi was drawn to it, as if she was a bee drawn to perfectly beautiful flower that stands out from the rest.

"_Please…"_

Hitomi continued to gaze at the pendant again. She could feel something through this pendant; something that she never felt before. She could feel a great sense of power within this pendant, a power that can only be used by those with good intentions. "But, this is a pendant. A simple, ordinary pendant. A great sense of power? That could only be found in fairy tales," she reassured herself. Yet, the feeling in her mind was telling her that she was wrong.

"_Believe me Yukari…I am never wrong…" _She was reminded of what she said to Yukari early that day. Somehow, that simple phrase made her recall the very first time when she was suddenly becoming accurate with her predictions. Ever since she predicted one situation after another a few years ago, from the beginning of the sixth grade and on, it kept growing and growing. It wasn't until she reached her freshmen year in Junior High School that her predictions were exactly the mark. No matter how much she denied it, no matter how she ignored it, Hitomi would always be right.

"_I call upon you…"_

"Why?" she asked herself out loud, never leaving her gaze from the pendant. "Why do I have these predictions? Why do I have these dreams? Just what is in store for me?"

"_The times have changed. You can no longer go to the life you once lived…"_

The pendant started to glow.

"_The time has come…"_

"What's happening?" Hitomi gasped as the pendant grew brighter and brighter in the dark night.

"_Everything rests on your shoulders. It is time for you to complete the destiny you are born with…"_

A pink hue started to filter the whole entire block, making Hitomi wince at the sudden intrusion. Her heart started beating rapidly against her chest. The voice in her head continued to talk as the light continued to grow.

"_It is time…for you to awaken…"_

Hitomi could not tell if she was in a dream or not as the light suddenly burst, surrounding the whole entire area with its pink hue. The light emanated an oddly familiar warmth that Hitomi felt comfortable. Crossing her arms comfortably across her chest, Hitomi enjoyed basking in it. She felt like she wanted to stay in this warmth forever.

Time passed and the light finally dimmed, along with the warmth that Hitomi had the pleasure to be basked in. The winds started picking up just as the light disappeared, lifting her tied up hair towards the sky. Hitomi slowly opened her eyes to see that her surroundings had returned to normal. Quickly, her eyes averted to the object in her hand, seeing no glow coming from the pendant. Clasping it gently in her hands, she looked up into the sky to see the full moon above. "What is going on?" she asked, once again wondering if she was in a dream or not.

Slowly, she let the pendant slide down her hand and let it dangle in midair. With one gentle move from her hands, she let the pendant swing.

One…two…three…four…

Hitomi watched as the pendant swung in seconds. It was strange to see a mere jewelry swing like that. Mentally, a sound of a clock ticking started was heard in Hitomi's mind as the pendant continued to swing in seconds.

Five…six…seven…eight…

As if by instinct, Hitomi slowly closed her eyes and concentrated, imagining the pendant in her mind swinging in time with the clock. As she concentrated, the pendant glowed, this time, in control. Hitomi's eyes instinctively opened. Hitomi was taken by surprise as the pendant started to glow. Now her thoughts about being in a dream were put to rest. "This…really happened…" Hitomi stuttered. She remembered in her dream that there was a clock ticking in the distance. Could this pendant be linked to the clock?

Suddenly, the pendant swung sharply to the left, as it was pointing at something. Hitomi's eyes widened just as the pendant shot to the left. "What…is it pointing at?" she asked.

"You have that power…"

Hitomi froze. She felt that feeling again at the restaurant. She could feel four pairs of eyes boring into her back. Her heart started to race like never before as she heard footsteps coming into her direction. Carefully, she clasped the pendant securely in her hands.

"After all these years, we have finally found you," continued the voice. She felt two more walk behind the first group that appeared. Then another. What was going on? She remained where she was, thinking of ways to get away from them as much as possible without getting hurt.

"What power?" Hitomi asked firmly, trying her best to show that she was not scared. "I'm only a normal girl. You must be mistaken."

"Who really cares if you are just a normal girl? That power is no mistake. It is your destiny. The one who is in touch with the pendant is the chosen one."

"_The pendant?!"_ Hitomi thought exasperatingly as she looked at the pendant again.

"That pendant is the very essence that will destroy our Great one's ideals. It is only used by the chosen one who shall awaken those who protect the world. And you, the normal girl you are, have the ability to use that power willingly. You unlocked what is inside."

"Inside?" Hitomi asked thoughtfully. Are these men crazy or what? What did she unlock that made these guys think she was the person with that power? The leader slowly extended his hand towards Hitomi's shoulder. Hitomi could feel his body heat come near hers, his hand inches away from her shoulder. She closed her eyes, concentrating her mind and soul to prepare.

"Now that you have awakened, before you gain anymore powers, there is no choice…"

"No choice," repeated his henchmen.

Hitomi suddenly gasped when her mind suddenly clicked on something the moment she could feel him. Right through her eyes, she envisioned him taking out his sword and stabbing it through her body. She can see the man steal the pendant and disappeared. In that moment, she could feel the warmth the pendant was emanating. She knew exactly what to do.

"Good-bye, chosen one." He drew out a sword from under his cape and immediately impaled it towards Hitomi's body.

The instant the man said his last word, Hitomi immediately stepped to the right just as the sword scraped some of her clothing on her right side. She could see his hand at her peripheral vision and immediately grasped it as best as she could. With her strong grip, the sword fell to the ground. "Yaah!" Putting all strength in her lower body, she threw the man in front her successfully.

"Agh!!" yelled the man. Hitomi jumped on the man's stomach and started running for her life.

"Sir!"

"Get her!"

As much as she wanted to kick those guys' behinds to the moon, her instincts told her to run for her life. The sword was nerve-wrecking and she never done anything with weapons before during self-defense class. She couldn't handle this many opponents. So, she continued to run to the farthest part of Tokyo, finding a place to hide until her pursuers had given up. "What I don't get is how do they know about what I witnessed? Are they some supernatural detectives or something?" Hitomi's eyes caught something dangling in her right arm. To her surprise, the pendant was lighting up and swinging towards the left. She looked to the left and saw piles of boxes mounted against a high wall. Somehow, she felt the pendant was the good choice to follow at this situation. Hurtling herself to that direction, Hitomi thought this would be a great plan to escape from those suspicious looking men. Looking at the box, she made sure that they were safe and started climbing as fast as possible.

"Come back here!"

She could hear those voices come closer to where she was. For normal men, they sure know how to run fast. And most men these days lack exercise at this time and age, in Hitomi's opinion. But, she was wrong. She increased her willpower and climbed as fast as she could. By the time she reached the top of the wall, she looked down to the see men climbing as well. With one mighty push from her legs, the boxes fell one by one, leaving the men climbing with an endless struggle.

With that done, Hitomi jumped down to the other side and sprinted as fast as a cheetah. Once again, the pendant swung and this time it was pointing to the right. Hitomi would had thought it was strange for a pendant to do such a thing, but it didn't cross her mind. All that mattered was getting away from these men and the best choice right now was to follow her instincts and the pendant.

---

Hitomi finally decided to stop. She did not hear the approaching footsteps or the yells anymore so it was safe to rest. It had been an hour since she started running for her life. She tried as best she could to lose them, however, they seem to catch on, despite the many traps she made on the way while trying to lose them. Hitomi's legs ached, asking her to stop and take a rest as well as her lungs, needing air for her entire body. "They're so persistent," Hitomi said. She leaned against her knees and took in deep breaths. After regaining her normal breathing power, she looked around her surroundings. Suddenly, it hit her. Around her, there were many cherry blossom trees around her, with a small pound in front of her. She looked around more to see the buildings behind the trees. She recognized this place. She was in Hibiya park that she recently went with her brother to view the first day the cherry trees blossomed. To think this was the place she wanted to go to clear her mind.

The winds started to pick up the moment her breathes evened, nurturing her sweaty brow graciously as if the winds knew her predicament and aided in her cause by giving her what she needed. She was truly grateful that it is spring and the weather is perfect. She let herself submerge with the wind, relaxing her beating heart.

"Chosen one…"

Hitomi's heart stopped at that moment. "No! It couldn't be…"

"We're tired of playing your game!"

Suddenly, out of thin air, her pursuers appeared around her, blocking any opening she could escape to. Hitomi's widened the moment they appeared. How did they find her? Or better yet, how they appeared just like that? These men are not normal humans. Fear started to filter her entire body as she slowly backed away until her back settled on a cherry blossom tree. Slowly, she let her hand rest against her heart as she looked at the men dressed in black cloaks, their faces covered darkly under their black hoods, matching who they were as mysterious and strange.

"Like I said, I am NOT the chosen one!" she exclaimed, trying her best to be brave.

"It is already too late. There is nothing you can do. You are who you are. And nothing can change that…" Slowly, the men started to gather closely as the leader extended his hand. Suddenly, a dark purple light started to swirl around his hand. Hitomi's eyes widened at this new relevance. The other men stood behind, reaching into the black cloaks to draw a sword in their hands, each growing into their stance, prepared to fight. One of the minions suddenly slammed his fists into the ground, causing the whole area to shake.

In a blink of an eye, the whole entire park dissolved in color. The beautiful cherry blossom trees that were filled with pink blossoms now turned bare and black as night. The tranquil, blue scenery changed into darkness, leaving the place black and white. Hitomi could see the whole entire place's life was wiped out into nothing. She couldn't believe it. This exact scenery looked exactly like her dreams. She looked at her body to see that her vision wasn't clear. It was blurry as if she was in an old movie. She looked up to see the clothed men, smiling evilly at her.

"W-what did you do?" she asked cautiously, putting her defense up. "Where are we?"

"Our realm," said the leader. "We very well need to hide ourselves. People in your world do not know that we exist. They will not see us. We fit better in this place of darkness. The alternate reality of what you see this world."

"_Like a dream,"_ thought Hitomi as her eyes grew wide, acknowledging how familiar the scenery looked before her. Scenes of a black, desolate place immediately came into her mind briefly. "_Who are they?"_

"People who come upon this dark world of ours will only be shadows in this world," the leader continued. "They will freeze as if time has stopped and will not know of the events that occurred in this very place. No normal person can exist here, but us. But you. You are different. You remain in your form." Hitomi looked at herself to see that she was in her form. Her whole entire body was still colored, making it stand out from the bleak place. She narrowed her eyes and prepared herself for the worst. She didn't take self-defense classes for nothing.

"It's no use, chosen one. Your weak moves cannot fringe us," said one of the minions. Hitomi froze right when she was about to smack their heads. Her nerves began to grow on her. She knew nothing that would fight against them. All she wanted was to go home. Slowly, she backed away as the strange caped men began to close in her. She looked directly the purple light that was produced in the leader's hands. Fear was written all over her face.

"Die!" the leader said. With one stroke from his arm, he hurtled the purple light towards Hitomi. Her instincts began to detect a great danger coming from the purple light. Each time it got closer, Hitomi could feel that her time in this world was up. It was beginning to crumble Hitomi's spirit. Her eyes widened. Was she going to die like this?

"Stop!" she screamed fervently as she closed her eyes, curling herself into a ball. Just as the ball of purple neared Hitomi's defensive body, a sudden pink light suddenly surrounded her, shielding her from any danger. The purple magic hit that very light, struggling to break through. Yet, it was no use as the pink light was strong and impermeable. The black magic dispersed immediately when it used most of its strength to pass through that barrier. Hitomi's eyes opened and saw that very pink light surround her. She looked at her hands, her feet, and her body. Without a doubt, this was the same light she saw before. Her eyes immediately went to her pursuers to see that their mouths gaped open, awed.

Slowly, the pink light dispersed around her. As the pink light disappeared, the dark realm suddenly dispersed, going back to the real world, where the light of the pale full moon glistened on the pink cherry blossom trees. Hitomi was surprised. "It can't be?! How…?! I thought…"

Hitomi's eyes remain staring at her hands. "What…just…happened?" she asked herself.

"Sir. What should we do? We can't bring her back to the other world now," one of the henchmen asked.

The leader tried to call upon his black magic. But, it didn't appear like he wanted to. Nothing came out. Surprised, he looked at Hitomi. "Is she that far" Hitomi was still astonished that she would had something like that in her body. She didn't know how she was able to call it up. The leader sneered. "Although she is strong with magic, she won't be able to call it up willingly. Physically she is weak. Kill her."

With a single nod from the group, they started running towards Hitomi. Hitomi finally snapped out of her reverie the moment she heard those hideous screams. She looked to see them running towards her in great numbers, swords stretched high and ready to kill.

Hitomi squinted her eyes and prayed for the pink light to appear again. But, it didn't appear like she expected. What will she do? She can't avoid them because they will find her. She can't fight back because they have weapons and she never dealt with weapons before. The only thing she can do was wait for her impending death.

"Somebody," she whispered, hoping from the bottom from her heart that someone would hear her.

The men were inches away, their swords pointing towards her body.

"Somebody!"

Their eyes revealed itself to Hitomi from under their hoods, heavy with lust for blood.

"Help me!" she screamed.

The moment Hitomi screamed for help, her screams were soon caught short as she felt another presence around her. This presence was different from what Hitomi felt from these men. She felt that this new presence was strong. Stronger than these men and their leader put together. The moment she thought that, a sudden white chi hurled passed her. The blast hit them directly and they all fell one by one. The leader looked around as he saw his men fall instantly.

"Show yourself! Who are you and what business do have with us?!" the leader asked, quite apprehensive. "How dare you interrupt us?!"

As the leader continued to ramble on, a shadowy figure jumped from one tree to another, causing Hitomi to watch its every movements. With one final jump, the shadowy figure landed behind them, his entire body soon manifested under the pale moonlight. Slowly, the figure emerged from the trees and showed himself to the enemy, his clothing, ancient and beautiful, glowed a gentle white in the dark night. Hitomi could not make out his face or his hair.

"Who are you?!" asked the leader, drawing his own sword from his black cloak. The men who were down before started to get up one by one, aiding their boss as they staggered behind him.

Once the leader drew his sword, the man in ancient clothing extended his arm in front of him, his hand erected with the palm facing the enemy. His other arm was placed close to his chest, his palms facing the enemy as well. The young man slowly bended his knees, ready for the fight to ensue.

The leader took this as a sign of resistance and immediately readied their swords. "What are you trying to do, boy? You can't beat us!"

"Don't worry," the young man finally spoke, directing his words to Hitomi. Hitomi's eyes wondered aimlessly. Something about him was oddly familiar that she couldn't point it out. "Even if it costs me life, I will protect you!"

Hitomi's eyes widened once she heard his statement, his voice passionate and beautiful under the quiet night. The winds started to pick up as cherry blossom petals started whirling about, his loose clothing floating along with it.

"We will make sure your life is ours!!" With those monstrous screams again, the men went straight to the man, weapons in hand. The young man ran as well when they were a close distance between him and them. One man swung at the young man with his sword. The young man dodged it and punched the man square in the face. His opponent fell with one shot. Once he fell on the ground, he suddenly disappeared in thin air, without any remnants of his body. He moved on, avoiding another attack from another henchmen, this time punching him multiple times on the stomach after he parried the attack. With one hard kick to the abdomen, another disappeared. Another came to his left. The young man jumped from the attack and kicked his chin effectively with his knee. Another came to his right and with one full thrust. He immediately dodged that attack and kicked the guy on the face with his foot.

Hitomi continued to watch as one by one her pursuers fell without a fight. She watched how fluid her rescuer used his fighting skills, watching as he fought from one side to the other, using the right moves to perform the right counter attack. He did one final kick to the last henchmen that stood still the entire time, his body shaking as he saw all his comrades gone. Knowing that his boss would want him to fight to the death, the henchmen finally decided and ran, using all his strength in this last match. The young man instantly saw his attack and instantly moves aside. When his enemy's stomach lay directly above his knee, the young man kicked up, making the enemy scream in utter pain. Putting his leg down, he used his elbow and impelled it to his enemy's back.

"_Who is he?" _she wondered as she watched him heave a sigh after finishing the deed.

The young man took in a deep breath. Slowly, after taking a moment, he turned around, looking at the leader. Moving his arms back into his fighting stance, he exhaled, slightly bending his knees.

The leader twitched unbelievably. How could a man like this beat all of his members without much of a fight? Lifting his sword, he readied himself, preparing to fight.

"Abunai!" Hitomi screamed the moment the enemy lifted the sword.

The leader ran, screaming as he lounged the sword towards him. The rescuer immediately dodged it, strands of his hair was cut as it passed above his cheek. Immediately after his thrust, the enemy turned around fluidly, his sword immediately coming back into position. He lunged towards him in great speed that was different from his members.

"Die!" the leader said and swung his sword at his head. Hitomi closed her eyes, fearing the worst for the young man who graciously saved her. Her rescuer instantly reacted to this move and with one graceful movement, he grabbed the edge of his opponent's blade. His opponent flinched the moment the young man grasped the blade, trying to push it forward towards his body. But, it wouldn't budge as the young man's single grasp was strong. The young man used his opponent's strength and let go of the blade. He sidestepped, making his opponent fall forward. Just as he was about to recover, the young man used his leg and slammed him down on the ground.

After many minutes avoiding these men, the leader was the last to disappear. Hitomi was relieved as her life was saved. Slowly, her eyes looked at the young man, his back turned towards her. She was nervous at first since this was a man she never met before. Without a doubt, this man was strong and wistful. She never had seen a person with such prowess before. Slowly, after her nervousness finally succumbed, she courageously took small steps towards him.

The winds started to pick up, lifting his hair and loss garments to the air. From the treetops, the pink leaves started to surround him and her.

She was closing in as his obscure moderately become clearer. "Who?" she asked. "Who are you?"

…

**Author's note: Yes! I'm finally done with this chapter! I'm sorry for the long wait. Again, it's a little slow. But, I guess you can say it's starting to pick up. So what do you guys think? A little more exciting than the first chapter? I honestly had a hard time with this chapter. But, I managed to pull through. Now, from here on, I will begin to add in the characters now that I set up Hitomi's plot…a little. I apologize for any mistakes. I am still having a hard time with past tense and present tense. And don't forget to review! For the next chapter, all I have is the title for now. "Lone Wolf." And you know who will finally appear in Chapter 3? Yes, you guessed it:D But, on writing, it's actually done. And I'll be writing it soon. Anyways, thanks again for reading! Bye-bye for now! **

**-Kuti **


	4. Chapter 3: The Lone Wolf

**Author's note at the end of this chapter. Please read after reading the entire story. Format is a bit weird and paragraphs are close together. Sorry about that.  
**

**Chapter 3:**

**The Lone Wolf**

**Previously:**

_After many minutes avoiding these men, the leader was the last to disappear. Hitomi was relieved as her life was saved. Slowly, her eyes looked at the young man, his back turned towards her. She was nervous at first since this was a man she never met before. Without a doubt, this man was strong and wistful. She never had seen a person with such prowess before. Slowly, after her nervousness finally succumbed, she courageously took small steps towards him._

_The winds started to pick up, lifting his hair and loss garments to the air. From the treetops, the pink leaves started to surround him and her._

_She was closing in as his obscure moderately become clearer. "Who are you?"_

Seagulls flew above the quiet shores of Kamakura as they gathered for a long journey ahead. As they flew, they passed above the cityscape of Kamakura to the sandy beach below straight to the blue, beautiful depths of the ocean. On the beach, it was completely deserted at this time of day. The waves drifted in and out of the sandy shores, hitting a lone shell gently that lobbed back and forth. The sea breeze gently passed by, bringing wind chimes from nearby houses to life. Not one sound that came from the city once entered this place. It was completely tranquil. This was definitely Hitomi's place to be in the first thing in the morning. She was on top of a long- white stoned wall that was 5 feet high, with the entrance to the beach not too far from her right. She smiled pleasantly as she sniffed in the sea breeze. She loved the cool breeze on her skin even though the weather was slightly cold so early in the morning of April. Her gaze looked at the group of rocks that stood out in the distance, waiting for the sun to rise. Her feet dangled on the edge, longingly looking at the ocean.

Slowly, as time passed on quietly, the bright smile that graced her face disappeared.

"_You have that power…"_

A dazed look passed through her eyes.

"_You are who you are. And nothing can change that…"_

Her thoughts remembered what happened last night. "Not again," she said in a small voice. A shiver surged through her body as she hunched her body towards her legs in a fetal position. She tried shaking the image out of her head. There were so many things running through her mind. The thoughts of that night never left her mind. It shouldn't be a problem at all. But, that ill feeling she had never once left. It felt like a nightmare came to haunt her again. She thought her only troubles were school, friends, family, track, and college exams when she reaches third year like any normal person would be going through. But, it was definitely not the case in her life. Her thoughts turned to the events that happened after. She returned home at nine o clock that night after trying to get over her shock. Everything was not sinking in yet as she was still absorbing everything in. That is, until her brother came to her with a worried expression. He began to scold her. She clearly remembered what she told her brother last night.

_**-Flashback-**_

_Hitomi finally reached her apartment home as she opened the door tiredly. It was already late by the time she got out of the train station from Tokyo. When she closed the door, she leaned against it and slid to the ground. Everything was happening so fast. She couldn't find a place to stop and collect her thoughts. But, despite all the confusion, Hitomi was glad to be home._

"_Hitomi?!" called a voice. Hitomi opened her eyes. She feared that it might be her mother. Slowly she looked up to see her older brother. "Where in the hell have you been?!" he retorted worriedly as he kneeled to her level. "Why are you late?! Don't you know what will happen if Okaasan found you come home late if she was home?!" _

_Desperately, she looked at her brother with sad eyes. "Oniichan," she said, her voice slightly wavering. The anger that rose in Mamoru suddenly seized when he saw the look in Hitomi's usual cheerful eyes. "Hito-chan, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked as he helped up to her feet._

_Hitomi shook her head. "Oniichan, I'm so confused. I don't even know what happened either," she stated. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."_

"_Try me," Mamoru said sternly as he crossed his arms._

_And so, Hitomi began to describe of what transpired that night. Mamoru listened intently from her desk as she explained the mysterious men in black cloaks, the light she saw that made her feel warm, and the young man that saved her. Hitomi knew it was farfetched and no one would believe a story like that. But, Mamoru listened intently, although his face didn't express anything. It did make her feel better now she talked out her problems out loud. She was fortunate to have a brother like Mamoru._

_After finishing her story, Mamoru leaned back on Hitomi's chair and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Hitomi looked at her carpet floor with a sad expression. She was waiting for Mamoru's response. "I must say, Hito-chan. It was a weird story," Mamoru said. _

"_I know, but," Hitomi stated as she looked into her brother's eyes. "I am a normal girl. I have everyday problems just like most people. But, I'm different from the rest because I'm good at predicting things and have these dreams. So, why? I'm no one important." _

_She clasped her forehead. "Oniichan, it's so confusing. First it was this gift I have. Then it's my dreams, visions, and voices I hear. And now these men and the guardians? What am I supposed to believe?"_

_Mamoru sighed frustratingly. He couldn't do much for his young sister since he couldn't understand what she was going through. Reassuringly, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be all right, Hitomi," he said, although he was quite reluctant to say such a cliché false hope that he learned that most doctors try to avoid. But, this was the only thing he can do for her now. "Maybe they won't come after you. The guy who saved you made sure of that, right?" Hitomi nodded reluctantly after such a thought ran through her head. "Besides, you have important things to think about. Like school and your future. Otousan would want you to think of that. Remember what he always said?" Hitomi smiled as she recalled what her father had said to her. "Now that's what I should be seeing. Go to sleep and everything will be alright in the morning."_

"_Thanks, Oniichan," Hitomi said. Still, she was a bit skeptical why her brother readily accepted her story. "Oniichan…you believe me?"_

_A bewildered look passed on his eyes. "W-what?! O-of course I believe you!" he exclaimed, flailing his arms above him like he was some kind of madman. "You know me, I'm the geekiest video game, anime person you'll ever know! Of course I believe in all these mumbo-jumbo stuff called magic and supernatural beings. What kind of question is that, Hito-chan?!"_

"_No reason," Hitomi said. That added more to her doubts from the way he reacted. But, she let it slid since her brother was like that sometimes. Greeting her brother a good night, she closed the door and looked through the window. It will be a new day tomorrow; a normal day she would enjoy with her family and friends. Nothing will change that._

_**-End of Flashback-**_

Still, despite her brother's words, Hitomi still can't get that thought out of her mind. That was the main reason why she was here bright and early. She needed to step out of her real world for a bit and think for a while in a quiet, spacious place before she went to her hectic life in school.

"Nothing's working," she said as she hung her head in defeat. "It's still not getting out of my head. What's making me think about it so much?"

"_I can hear your every thoughts and feelings. I can feel your feelings, your fears, your distress. You were calling someone to help you …"_

Hitomi lifted her head a bit in realization.

"_It is up to you now to uphold what you are born with…_

She remembered his words clearly in her mind. His voice ended those words haunted her greatly. "Destiny," is what he left her, leaving his mystery unresolved. She was truly grateful for his help. But, he left her with such confounding words. What could he possibly mean?

Hitomi sighed as she looked up into the sky. "There's no use thinking about it," Hitomi reassured herself as she slapped both her cheeks gently. "They're gone now. So nothing is relevant now." Saying those words satisfied with her. They were gone now. **He** made sure of that. Instantly, Hitomi felt better. At least one problem was done so she could now go through her normal life.

She looked at her watch. "Hmm…I'll just stay five more minutes longer," Hitomi decided and enjoyed the tranquil place. As she relaxed in her spot, a flock of seagulls suddenly flew by her from her right, causing her to look in that direction with wide eyes. Right on the other side, Hitomi spotted a young man who stood not too far away from her, looking out into the ocean just like she was doing. Hitomi was definitely surprised as she thought she was the only person out here. She wondered how he managed to get there?

With the birds out of the way, Hitomi slightly had a good look of the guy, let alone his face which was not visible. He looked pretty tall from where she sat. He wore a dark blue blazer with matching pants. The ends of his pants were stuffed sloppily in his white sneakers. On his left side was his messenger bag that was slung from his right shoulder. On his back was a rectangular, long black-clothed case that looked like something for Kendo. He was holding that on his right. The emblem of his school wasn't seeable to her. However, the way the uniform looked, she was sure he goes to a private school. She couldn't make out his face as it was covered by his black, unruly hair.

He began to move. Hitomi looked away and returned her gaze to the ocean. "What am I doing?" she asked herself, blushing. "Why do I want to know what know about this guy's look?" Luckily, he didn't notice her looking at him. He was merely shifting his weight to make himself comfortable. She was definitely curious what he looked like under that hair of his. She took another sneaky glance. Still, his face remained hidden. "What in the world should I do?" she thought. "He looks so familiar. Should I talk to him? Should I wait when he turns to me?" She took another glance only to see him turn right and walked away.

Hitomi gasped. "Umm…" she said in a small voice. He kept on walking without responding to her. Her arm was in mid air in front of her when she was about to call him. She watched him move farther away from her until he disappeared down the steps. She didn't take her eyes off him until he disappeared. There was something about him that caught her eye, but she couldn't point it out. He sent this aura she couldn't describe.

"This is a first," Hitomi said to herself. When it came to meeting people, Hitomi could tell the person's personality by what she receives from their aura. She could easily feel any feelings a person had. This was one of her abilities she had due to her sixth sense. But this time, she couldn't get anything from the young man. Before she thought further, her watch began to beep. She looked at the time to see five minutes was up.

"So much for having a peaceful time alone," Hitomi sighed, disappointed. She stood up and grabbed her stuff and made her way to the train station. As she quickly walked down the stairs, Hitomi stopped midway. She turned to the place she once saw him. Sadly, a thought came across her. "This may be the last time I'll get to see him, huh?" she asked herself as she turned away. "But why do I feel so sad?"

* * *

Hitomi stretched a bit after a tiring day. She was just spending time with her brother at a café he knew near his college. Track club was cancelled and she had free time to spare. It was late in the afternoon when she decided to go home. After what happened to her, there was no signs or ill feelings she had like that first time she felt when those four weird men in black cloaks watched her every move. Since then, it had not happened. So, it was safe to go alone for now.

"_A week ago, huh?" _Hitomi thought as she realized how long it was. "_A week has passed and I still know nothing about him or what he meant. There's no way I could find him…" _As she walked down the street, she immediately forgot what she was thinking about when her eyes laid on a huge window. Right through the window was little kids kicking and punching. They were standing on a blue mat that was placed in the middle of the room on top of a tatami covered floor. They stood in a straight line as they distance themselves from each other to make room for their injury-prone moves. Hitomi smiled at the recognizable old-fashioned Japanese-style room. "Wow, it's been so long," she said, nostalgia hitting her. "I wonder if sensei is still there." Hitomi looked around to find her old karate sensei. She directly looked at the place he would always kneel to observe his students' progress.

"EH?!" Hitomi gasped suddenly.

There was certainly someone there. But, it was definitely not her sensei. He looked a little young as sensei was in his late 30's by now. What made Hitomi gasp was the familiarity of the current sensei in front of the class. "It's him!" she exclaimed. It was the young man she saw that morning last week. This time, Hitomi could see the color of his skin. It was a natural tan complexion. He was wearing the simple white karate suit. Tied around his waistband was a black belt with three white markings on the left end of the belt.

"Eh?!" she gasped again as she inspected further. "He's a third degree black belt?!" He managed to reach that level. Hitomi definitely needed to meet this guy. Just when he was about to turn to the student close to the window, where Hitomi was standing, he suddenly turned to the opposite direction. He turned to her old sensei as he came out of a door on the opposite side. He nodded his head and went to her sensei.

One mystery after another, it was no wonder Hitomi was frustrated. She never thought her curiosity would last this long. Disappointment ran through Hitomi by the time he disappeared through the door. She shouldn't be this interested. She still couldn't figure out why. With a defeated sigh, she continued her walk to the station. The young man still remained a mystery, just like her savior and those black men in cloaks.

* * *

The next day came, with the cherry blossoms still in bloom around the road Hitomi would always went through to get to school. She was early again. She didn't wake up in time to calm herself in her favorite spot so she ended up going to school. She was still disappointed that she didn't get to see the mystery man's face. It was strange for her to be so obsessed in a guy. In reality, Hitomi was shy. She could not associate well with other guys that were outside her family, friends, and her class in 2-A. But, strangely, this guy was something else. It sparked her curiosity and it nagged her mind for days. Currently, the nagging increased tenfold. Could destiny be trying to tell her something that would push her into the right direction? Suddenly she became melancholy again.

"Destiny…?" she managed to say after a while of thinking about her savior again. Somehow, his voice struck something in Hitomi so clearly. For some reason, his voice, she felt as if she heard it somewhere.

She continued to dwell on those thoughts until someone grabbed onto her shoulder. Hitomi immediately responded as she quickly raised her elbow. Before she could pull a dreadful move on the suspect, she stopped midair when she saw that suspect was Yukari. Yukari was smiling nervously with both of her hands up in a poor attempt to defend herself. Hitomi sighed as she visibly relaxed her entire body. "Yukari," Hitomi sighed in relief. "Sorry…"

"Morning to you too," Yukari said as she wiped sweat from her forehead with her left hand. "I got to remember not do that."

"Sorry," Hitomi apologized again.

Yukari sighed as she straightened her blazer. With a reassuring smile, they walked the remaining distance to school.

"Despite the number of times I called you and the almost fatel blow I would have experienced from my best friend, I should commend you," Yukari stated.

"Eh?!" Hitomi exclaimed, blinking with wide eyes.

"Commend? You know, rewarding you…honoring you…loathing you…I guess…"

"I know what it means!" Hitomi yelled, crossing her arms around her chest. "Commend me for what? From almost kicking you to your death?"

Yukari was nodding her head. But then she caught herself and shook her head fervently. "No! Of course not!! I meant for being early, baka!" she yelled fervently.

Hitomi arched an eyebrow as the continued to walk. "And…? Soo…?"

"SO!" Yukari paused as she waited patiently for Hitomi respond. No response as Hitomi still gave her a clueless look. Yukari sighed and took a deep breath. "HITOMI'S SPECIALTY! BEING LATE and getting EXCUSES from sensei." She was talking as if she was an announcer and every student was looking their way. Hitomi shook her head and slapped her forehead with her hand embarrassingly.

"And I should COMMEND Yukari for reminding me, and apparently EVERYONE else, how I should feel guilty for making our teachers suffer from my tardiness," Hitomi sarcastically said over Yukari's voice.

"Arigatou!" Yukari said. "It's my job, of course! I plan to keep at it forever." The girls laughed as they stopped a few meters away from the gate to their school. "Anyways, on much sad note, I don't want to bring it, but, how come you seem so gloomy today?"

"Eh?" Hitomi was surprised at this sudden question. "Do I look like that? I didn't notice I was like that."

"Yeah, it seems like your soul was detached from you or something. It's like you weren't yourself."

"Huah…" Hitomi said, stunned that Yukari noticed her mood. Quickly, she regained her composure. "But really, I'm fine. I just have a lot of things on my mind right now." She finished off with smile to reassure her best friend she was fine.

"O-kay…I'll believe you," Yukari accepted with a smile. "But…whatever it is…" With a quick move, she slapped Hitomi's left shoulder. "Be yourself, Hitomi!" With that single move, the ribbon on her hair untied itself and it caught itself in the wind.

"Ah! My ribbon!" Hitomi yelled as she ran to get it. "Come back!"

Somehow, the wind won't let her have her way and continued to float her precious ribbon to the sky. It was drifting close to the temple on top of the hill. She ran to it as fast as she could when her eyes met a person under the cherry blossom trees. The person was starring at the temple on top of the hill.

Just by looking at the person made her forget her precious ribbon and abruptly stopped. Her mind wasn't quite done stabilizing herself, so she didn't think much of the person at first. Then, her mind clicked when she finally composed herself. The dark blue uniform, the white sneakers, the messenger bag, the Kendo gear, the tan complexion, and the messy black hair; all of these attributes led to one person she had in mind.

"It's him," Hitomi said. She wanted to faint after so many surprises during the past several days. She would never have guessed she would see him again. This was her third time seeing him. Could this mean something? As her mind completely settled from the fact that she saw the guy again, her ribbon floated down and caught itself around his leg.

Hitomi smiled and walked up to him, watching him looked down and reached for her ribbon. This was definitely fate. The Gods answered her calls and now she could finally get to see his face. She never knew how lucky she was. Now there was no chance he would get interrupted from preventing her to see his face. She stood a few meters away when he straightened his position.

"_My heart's beating fast," _Hitomi thought as she placed her hand above her heart. "_I'm so nervous. What should I do? What should I do?"_

As if something came to her, she knew what to say as she stepped in. "Uh, excuse me," Hitomi began politely, her voice filled with courage. By the sound of her voice, she could see him turning to her slowly, with her ribbon in one hand.

Before Hitomi knew it, her eyes widened in surprise as the winds breezed through her as the cherry blossoms danced around them. Her hair was disarrayed in front of her as it also danced. For the first time, their eyes met.

Not too far away, Yukari ran to the situation, wondering what was going on. She thought it was strange that Hitomi didn't return for a long time. Worried, she went over there. But, just as she was about to call her, she froze. The moment she saw in front of her was something she would only see in animes and mangas. It was one of those rare moments that most people would be craving to see. Standing right there, Hitomi and the mystery man stood a good distance apart, looking at each other with wide eyes. The mood was so quiet and peaceful with some birds chirping blissfully above the cherry blossom trees. They were under them as the pink little leaves danced around them with the gentle wind. They looked at each other as if they were struck with love for the first time. It was almost magical; like destiny finally bringing the two destined couple together after so many years.

This scene almost made Yukari cry. Because of this rare moment, Yukari wanted to take a picture. But, she couldn't possibly disturb this moment. What added to her mind was the urge to break it. She wanted to know what was going on, who was the guy, and why were they standing there and not introducing themselves or talking. Hitomi was always such a shy person when it comes to guys. Yukari decided to break the ice and get Hitomi started, like she would always do. Just as she took her step towards them-

"**YOU!" **they suddenly both yelled, almost causing Yukari to fall backwards. Yukari maintained her balance as she looked at the couple with wide eyes. The moment she really loved was gone.

Hitomi couldn't believe her eyes when she finally saw his face. Right when she saw his eyes, a thought rang through her mind. The color was a rare red-brown. She knew immediately who it was and she didn't think twice about what she was going to say, no matter how cute he was. "You, what are you doing here?! I-Ikkoku-kun!" Hitomi yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him. The guy she wanted to know so much turned out to be the jerk she crashed into weeks ago. Since she didn't know the hot-headed jerk's name, she decided to go with "Ikkoku."

"I should be the one asking that," he said as he placed his free hand into his pocket.

"I go here!" Hitomi yelled.

"Eh?! Here?! That temple?!" he asked, looking at the temple on top of the hill. "Some school you go to, ahou."

Hitomi huffed and pointed her finger towards her school behind her. "No! The school over there, you idiot!" She couldn't believe this guy. "I'll ask again. What ARE you doing here? Are you stalking me, Ikkoku-kun?!"

"What kind of question is that?! Why would I-" He paused. "Wait…what did you call me?!"

"Umm…" Yukari interrupted the bickering couple. They both looked at her with a look that said "What." She gulped a bit. "Hitomi, do you…know him?"

"Ikkoku-kun?" Hitomi growled with an expression that was ready to kill someone.

Yukari blinked a few times. "Ik-ko-ku-kun?"

"I AM NOT!" said the so-called "Ikkoku-kun" hot-headedly.

"See what I mean?" Hitomi huffed as she crossed her arms, making her point.

Again, Yukari blinked. Before she knew it, she tried to contain her laughter. "PFFT! Ikkoku-kun! What kind of name is that?!"

"It's not my name!" Again, he was sorely ignored as the two girls chatted away.

"I don't know what to call him since I don't know his name. So I called him Ikkoku-kun because he is one." Abruptly, she turned her attention to him. "So? Are you or are you not?"

"What? Stalking you?! Of course not! It's none of your business what I do anyway. It's a free country," he replied curtly.

"Ah Ah! Like I care what you do! You're probably doing the same to other people like you did to me and not apologize when you rudely push them away or something." Carefully, Hitomi eyed her ribbon closely in his hand. "Besides, I only came up here just to get my ribbon back."

"Ribbon?" he asked as he looked at the ribbon in his hand. "You mean this piece of cloth?! How is this supposed to be a ribbon?!"

Hitomi roughly grabbed her ribbon from him and tied it back on. She wondered how men could be so dense sometimes. "It's not a piece of cloth! It's something special and I intend to not lose it!" After fixating her ribbon and making sure it was good and tight, she turned around. "Bye," she said and walked away.

"Oi!" he called, running up to her.

"What?" Hitomi said coldly, turning to him with an annoyed expression in her eyes.

"Aren't you going to say thank you for getting that thing for you?" he asked.

"Thank you?! What for? Why should I thank you, Ikkoku-kun?" Hitomi demanded. "I'd much thank someone who is worthy rather than an idiot like you!" Hitomi started, walking away again, hoping he would get away. But, he still followed her.

"You want an apology from the other day, don't you?" he asked, hitting right to the point. Hitomi paused after what he said. He was right on the mark. She wanted an apology from him for being such a hot-headed jerk. But, she didn't want to admit it to him. She didn't want to show him that she was a weak girl who can't do or submit to anything. She shook her head and started walking away.

"Oi!"

Yukari watched the two from a distance as Hitomi continued to ignore him while he continued to chase after her, arguing like there was no tomorrow. To her, this was the most entertaining thing she ever saw and she couldn't help but watch and smile. It was more entertaining since Hitomi was never this full of energy before.

"Oi! I'm talking to you!" With one move, he grabbed her shoulder from behind. At that moment, white fury flashed through her eyes. Her eyes immediately narrowed by the time his hand touched her shoulder. With one fluid movement, she turned around and high-kicked him towards his face. Yukari shook her head in despair. "He had to do it. I wouldn't surprise her like that at all. Well, I better call an ambulance like that's new."

Hitomi's flexed foot was a mere inch off from his shocked face. Hitomi too was shocked. It didn't surprise her too much that his face actually showed emotion. What truly surprised her was how quick he anticipated her move and defended himself in that spur of the moment. With her kick, no ordinary guy would anticipate it. It was a complete KO to the face. She remembered she did that to several guys who snuck up on her like that. She felt sorry that the ambulance had to take them away just to make sure they had no concussion or memory loss. She was lucky she wasn't charged since they were lechers after all. Although she didn't show her surprised reaction to the guy, she was quite impressed.

Hitomi quickly returned to her original position as she began to straighten herself, turning her back to him. "Sorry," she said in a rather blunt voice. "It's habit of mine when someone comes up to me like that. Be glad that you avoided it or you'd be KO'd by now." With that, she briskly walked to school, with Yukari following closely behind her. Hitomi hoped she got the last word.

"For someone like you, I'm impressed the way you handled it," he said out loud, causing Hitomi to stop. His voice just didn't sound cocky or cold right then. It seemed as if he was complimenting her. This was close to an apology as Hitomi could get. This she will accept. She hoped that was the case. "Ariga-"

"But, you would have been hit by now."

"NANI?!" she roared, all the good thoughts of him suddenly drained out of her mind. This guy was definitely working her last nerve.

"Your stance was off balance and weak. You left a lot of barriers open. Position was good, but it still needs some work," he said as he walked passed her, with a notable "know-it-all" tone in his voice.

"H-how would know?!" Hitomi asked angrily.

"For me to know and you to find out, ahou," he simply said.

"Stop calling me that! My name's…"

"Ja na." With that, he left without another word, the same way he did to her when she first met him. Hitomi was breathing very harshly as she felt her blood pressure sky-rocketed out to space. Her mind was alert and she was shaking uncontrollably.

"Hitomi…" Yukari timidly called.

"That no good…"

"Hitomi, are you okay?"

"IDIOT!!" Hitomi yelled, causing Yukari to back off. "I've never met such an arrogant, hot-headed, poker faced person in my entire life!! Who does he think he is telling a person that they're position is not good! Just because he has third-degree black belt doesn't mean he has the right to teach me!" After letting her feelings out, Hitomi instantly relaxed and took in deep breaths.

"How do you know that guy, Hitomi?" Yukari asked after letting Hitomi relax.

"That guy! I met him not too long ago when I bumped into him when I was late for school. He never apologized. I haven't seen him for a while until recently."

"For an arrogant guy, he sure is hot," Yukari said dreamily.

"Yukari!" Hitomi yelled.

Yukari shrugged. "Couldn't help it…"

Hitomi sighed. There was no use persuading her best friend now. She had fallen into his trap; good looks and all. They started their way to the entrance of their school. "Do you think we'll see him again?"

As they walked, Hitomi looked back at the spot where he stood. For a moment, she thought about it for a while. "No… I don't think we'll see him again."

* * *

Hitomi looked at the piece of paper in her hand. She had to go to Tokyo once again to pick up that piece of paper from Mamoru. Since he couldn't go do the errands himself, she had to do them. "We need all this?" Hitomi asked as she looked at the list of stuff she needed to get from the grocery store. "Ramen (a lot of it), 2 Daikon Radish, rice, fish, vegetables…eh? What this? Don't even think about eating all the snacks in this list, Hito-chan?!" Hitomi really wanted to punch her brother for writing that. She was going to get one to eat out of this list, nothing more. With a sigh, she put the piece of paper in her bag. Just as she looked at the road in front of her, she realized that she was in front of her old karate dojo again. Through the window was Ikkoku-kun in front of the class, watching attentively as the class, paired with each other, practiced their moves. From the experience she received since he met him, Hitomi knew he would be callous, harsh, and dispassionate. He most likely does not care in the educational well-being of these young students. She despised those types of people. She wondered why her sensei would hire such a person. Despite his annoying presence in the dojo, Hitomi couldn't help but feel curious about his teaching methods.

"Uh-oh," Hitomi exclaimed as she saw one student was having trouble executing one move. They must had practiced the moves a couple of times before since she usually partners up with someone after they perfected her move when she was karate class. Most of the students probably got it down by now and perfected it. The boy looked like he was the weak one. She looked at Ikkoku-kun. As expected, he spotted the problem and immediately stood up. He walked towards the student and the rest stopped their practice and watched. She definitely would have anticipated this. She couldn't bare the thought of the boy listening to the crude remarks he would send.

The student was talking with a defeated look in his face. From the looks of it, he was explaining how hard it was to execute the move he was taught today. The young, hot-headed sensei was listening intently. Her eyes observed further to see the other students around them smiling and laughing. A frown crossed her face. Something was definitely weird. Finally, the student finished his explanation. She could see Ikkoku-kun in thought, but she couldn't make out his emotions. "What will he do?" she wondered. Just as she said it, he walked to the student, reaching towards him.

"Oh no!" Hitomi cried, running to the door. She slammed the door open, ready to charge at him. But, she suddenly stopped as her eyes looked at the scene in front of her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

His hand gently patted the student's shoulder. "Daijobou," he said with a soft tone Hitomi never knew he had. "It's alright if you still can't do it. Learn at your own pace. Do your best." The young student smiled and nodded his head with confidence. He looked at the laughing students who suddenly stiffened at his stern look. He patted the student's shoulder one last time and walked to the front of the class. "Okay, let's practice what we learned today." The students, let alone the one he talked to, started groaning negatively.

"Sensei, but-"

"You guys think it's funny to laugh at someone who is trying hard to learn? Think back when you learned things for the first time. Think about how difficult it was. If you don't understand, then I'll ask sensei to dismiss you. Whoever laughs again will be thrown out. Understand?!" With that remark, the young hot-headed sensei began to walk to his usual spot as the students nodded their heads in shame. He stopped in front of the class.

"We'll be doing these drills until he gets it. Yosh, begin!" Immediately, he kicked high, along with the other students as they observed his actions. "Good," he said, specifically at the one student who smiled at his compliment. "One more time!" Again, they kicked. From then on, they did it several times and moved on to another move.

During this time, Hitomi watched as he taught and reviewed every move they learned. He taught and executed his moves with such diligence and patience that Hitomi thought he was a different person. He was interacting with them like a leader would with his comrades.

"That guy," she wondered curiously as she watched him help the same student position himself correctly in another move they were doing. "He's…so different."

* * *

Hitomi sighed. She was disappointed that she didn't wake up early enough to take her time to watch the scenery of the ocean in her favorite spot. As she walked towards the station that would lead her to school, Hitomi spotted a small wooden shelter with some vending machines. A smile crossed her face. If she can't go to the ocean and enjoy herself, then a nice, cold drink of Oolong tea would satisfy her.

The sound of her drink coming down the vending machine caught her attention. She lowered herself carefully to get her drink and grabbed it. She straightened herself and smiled as she held the cold beverage with both of her hands. With one snap to open it, she drank it in one gulp. "Oishii!" she beamed as she felt the drink instantly revive her. After taking in another gulp, she tossed the can into the recycle bin. Feeling energized, Hitomi turned to the train station. Right when she took her first step, she stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the familiar dark blue suit and his black unruly hair.

"Ikkoku-kun!" she exclaimed. Hitomi whipped her head from left to right, trying to find a place to hide. She settled herself behind the small building and stake out there. She didn't want another confrontation from him. She immediately ducked into her hiding place and waited until he was gone. Hitomi could hear his footsteps coming closer to her direction. It came closer and closer until the sound suddenly stopped. For a while, there was no sound coming from him. It felt like he was right in front of her, gazing at her hunched form. That thought immediately was ruled out when she heard the sound of the vending machine. Hitomi sighed a huge relief.

"Maybe he'll be on his way now that he has his drink. There is no way he'll stay here." His footsteps sounded again and it was growing near.

"Oh no, don't tell me…!" She heard him sit down on the bench right in front of where she was hiding. She could see his back as he opened his drink and drank the contents. Hitomi hoped he didn't notice.

Nothing happened for a while as he didn't seem to notice that she was a few feet behind him. Hitomi thought this would be a great opportunity to sneak away unnoticed. She slowly sat up and sneakily made her narrow escape.

"I know you're there, ahou," his voice said and she immediately stopped.

She wanted to slap herself for making a bad choice to move. With a defeated sigh, she turned to him. "How do you know I was here?"

"I was right behind you when you decided to get a drink," he said, pausing as he took another sip of his drink. "I just didn't want to disturb your peace. I decided to come when you suddenly disappeared. Honestly, isn't hiding there a bit cliché?"

Hitomi fumed. "So what if it's cliché? I didn't want to face you."

Silence fell between them as they stayed in their position. Hitomi truly didn't want to confront him. Somehow, being around him made her feel like she needed to be on her toes all the time. He was such an unpredictable person. She looked at him for a bit. His back was still turned to her as if she was not good enough to see his face. With the drink in both of his hands, he leaned against his legs with his elbows, his legs shoulder length apart. He was looking straight out in front of him. Hitomi wondered what goes through his mind.

"I saw you at the karate dojo the other day," he suddenly said.

"EH?!" Hitomi gasped. Immediately, she coughed to regain her composure. "Aah…really?"

"You were inside with that angry look in your eyes. It looked like you were ready to pulverize someone." She didn't know he was watching her. He didn't even look at her direction. He was busy with the lecture, so he shouldn't have noticed her.

"O-of course I was angry," she said as she crossed her arms. "I thought you were going to beat that little guy for making so many mistakes. I was going to give you a piece of my mind."

"What? With those crappy moves of yours?"

"NO! I wasn't on planning on that. But I wanted to," Hitomi reassured. Suddenly, he stood up as he threw the can in the recycle bin.

"I wouldn't do that."

Hitomi looked up. "Huh?!"

"I mean…hit someone just because they are not doing the right thing." She watched him look at the sky. "I understand what's he's going through. It's hard enough that he's behind and working hard to catch up."

Those words clicked into Hitomi's mind. He was actually talking casually. It felt like they were having a normal conversation. Somehow, just hearing him like this made her feel comfortable. She felt like she could trust him. This was the first time she trusted someone who was outside of her family and friends that instantly. This only made her confusion grow. Was he really a hot-headed jerk she proclaimed? Maybe she was judging him irrationally. Something about him stands out.

"Umm," she began, hoping to start a casual conversation with him for once.

"Anyways, see you around, Ja na." He quickly grabbed his things and walked away. She watched as he retreated to the train station. Something was quite off.

* * *

Hitomi found herself in her usual spot near the ocean two days later. She was glad that school was only half day on Saturdays. She would be able to gain a piece of mind and relax after a week of brain frying lectures in school. However, despite the weekend, she wasn't relaxed at all. All this week, she thought about Ikkoku-kun. It wasn't the mysterious men in black cloaks or her savior and his words he left that occupied her mind. The turn of events made her think about Ikkoku-kun. His personality was quite unpredictable. He was this arrogant, hot-headed person in one day and he was this complete opposite person on another day. She was seeing two sides of him that does not click at all. During these passing days, she would occasionally run into him in the real world. And each time they meet, they would go through their bickering mode. That was only when they coincidentally meet in Tokyo and near her school. But in Kamakura and places were it feels relaxed and spiritual, surrounded by nature, he was another person as the bickering self does not exist. He does dismiss this personality easily and reverts back to his cocky self. It bugged Hitomi greatly. She felt compelled to understand this guy more. She was never so set to know a guy or feel like she could be herself with a guy. Usually, she would feel like she needed to curl up in a ball and become timid whenever she was with a guy. But, he was different. She shook her head. She could no longer take it. She stood up and took a deep breath.

"WHO IS HE?!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"WHO IS…who?" Hitomi stopped her scream and turned to that voice. She immediately paled to find the very man in her thoughts standing a few feet away.

"_Oh no, he heard me!" _Hitomi thought with a mortified look in her face.

"You're a strange one," he said as he put his hands in his pockets. "Never thought you're the one to yell out like that."

Hitomi was definitely embarrassed as she looked at the ground to avoid his gaze, even though he wasn't looking at her. She wondered if he heard her say her thoughts out loud since she did have the tendency to let her mouth do the thinking. It didn't seem like he heard as nothing was said between them after that. Hitomi was too speechless to remark back. So, they settled in the quiet atmosphere and let the scenery take them in. They watched as the horizon slowly lit up. When she saw the light in the dark sky, Hitomi was suddenly filled with awe and happiness. It was a sight she never had the chance to spend time to watch. Everything she thought about died out and concentrated her eyes on the beautiful sunrise.

"Doesn't this place make you feel relaxed?" Hitomi's attention averted to him as he too gazed into the horizon. "It feels…as if your troubles suddenly melt away." The winds blew suddenly as Hitomi continued to observe him. She was struck. Not only his words struck her, but what he showed through his face. His expression right then was something she never had seen before. His eyes were soft and sad. On his lips, he had a sad smile. His hair that danced with the wind enhanced those soft features. Somehow, the way he was right then, she felt like they connected. She felt as if they were in the same level. It was right then Hitomi realized something. All this time, she didn't want to run away from him. What was she was running away from was her own shyness and what she truly wanted to do. She wanted to know him. Not as her enemy, but as her friend.

* * *

School ended in a blink of an eye for most students in Kamakura high. But to Hitomi, it felt like an eternity. Hitomi enjoyed school, but she can't enjoy it with an empty stomach. It was a tough situation for her as she forgot her lunch at home. She didn't have money so she was hungry the entire day. Yukari also forgot her lunch so Hitomi couldn't pick out from her lunch. So, they both agonized over their hungry stomachs. But, forgetting her lunch wasn't the only thing that added to the long, bad day of hers. She hasn't seen Ikkoku-kun for a while now since she saw him in a different light that one day. When she finally decided to talk to him and make amends for their endless bickering and loathing, he suddenly disappeared. Because of his disappearance, school seemed like it dragged on. It felt like any normal day for Hitomi. But, she remained optimistic. She had a feeling she would see him again somewhere.

After class, Yukari and Hitomi decided to skip track and find a good place to splurge on food in Tokyo since it was a good place to look for food chains. It was a good thing Mamoru gave Hitomi money after school as he knew she forgot her lunch again.

"How about that?" Hitomi asked, pointing to a restaurant.

"Too expensive looking." Yukari looked to find another. "How about that one?"

"Too dirty looking. I wouldn't trust that place at all." They both sighed as none of the places they passed by did not appeal to them.

"I don't get why we should go all the way down here when we can just get to your mom's place. Why are we not eating there?" Yukari asked.

"Because, it's closed for renovations. We have no choice but to look here. We need to find one and I mean a **GOOD **find."

"You mean like finding that cute Ikkoku-kun?" Yukari asked slyly. Hitomi immediately stopped. She turned to her friend, blushing deep red.

"W-what are you s-saying?" Hitomi stuttered.

Yukari shrugged. "Hey, I was just giving an analogy here. Ikkoku-kun IS a good find, you know…"

"S-stop that. I know he's a good find and all, but-"

"So you admit it? He is a hottie!"

"Well, yeah." Hitomi paused. "I mean, NO! T-that's not the point! Let's just drop the subject and find something to eat before I faint," Hitomi said. She didn't want to admit it but he was a good-looking guy, despite his cold, arrogant personality. But, he was more than just that now that Hitomi got a little jist of his personality. She didn't want leave things as it was. She wants to be friends with him. Something about him had driven her. She never did like first impressions after all.

"I must say, though. I've never seen you like this," Yukari said, causing Hitomi to stare in her direction. "You were never this livid before." Hitomi simply shrugged her shoulders with a smile and continued her search. For almost twenty minutes, they haven't found a place that fits their needs. Nothing seemed interesting. Just as they were about to give up, Hitomi's eyes laid on a sign that read…

"Organ Pub?" Hitomi read thoughtfully. The sign she was looking at was attached to a medium-sized building, built in wood to make it look like a pub. There was a single lamp right next to the two sliding doors. What was strange was that this pub was actually open in board daylight when most pubs usually open late in the afternoon and early evening. "Hmm…"

"Hitomi, that's a pub," she said. "You know we can't go there. We're too young, you know."

Yukari's words suddenly blurred the moment Hitomi laid eyes on the place. Something about this pub was odd. The oddness of it was added more to her mind when she saw two people, who looked to be Hitomi's age, went in. Most of all, this place was bugging her. Hitomi very well cannot ignore it. So, she slowly reached for the door.

"Hitomi, w-what are you doing?!" Yukari asked incredulously. "Do you realize what you are getting yourself into?"

"Of course," Hitomi confirmed and proceeded to reach for the door. Yukari stopped her again.

"But, what if that place has nasty old people getting drunk or those dark, illegal, bad-to-the-bone Yakuza are there doing whatever they want?"

"Relax. Something about this place is odd. I can't help but risk it and go in." Hitomi looked at her friend to see the horror on her face. Hitomi sighed. Whatever happened to reckless Yukari? "Alright, alright. We can leave right after taking a glimpse." Yukari sighed in relief. Taking in a huge breath, Hitomi and Yukari went through the doors. As they walked in, Hitomi and Yukari almost screamed their heads off.

Right in front of them was not a place they expect it. They expected the smell of alcohol and smoke. They expected a lot of grown up's in this bar. They should see pool tables, Yakuzas, and all those things they heard how the pub looked. Instead, the place was entirely bright. Inside, everything was bright, from the bright paintings on the walls to the flashy video games. There was smells of ice cream, food, and candy. There was no sign of smoke, alcohol, mafias, or even lechers. It was full of kids having fun.

"Hitomi, is it me or have we just crossed into a parallel world?" Yukari asked.

"I don't know. I-I expected it to be a pub."

"Of course it's not a pub. It's a regular dine, arcade, karaoke company," said a voice behind them. Hitomi literally screamed as a shabby faced man appeared. His brown hair was tied into a high ponytail with glasses on the bridge of his nose. He was wearing an apron over his forest green causal shirt and jeans. "Haha, gomen, gomen, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, fixing his glasses. "It's not every day that someone actually thought this place was actually a pub. What made you think that?"

Hitomi blinked a few times. "Umm…well-"

"The name, isn't it? But I like that name. Gives it some edge. Maybe I forgot to put out the posters. Hey! That's probably why. No wonder a lot of the young people outside were just starring and not coming in. I better put the posters out. Anyways, make yourselves at home." He looked at the girls who were blinking with a confused look on their faces. "Oh, where are my manners? My mouth always runs. My name's Dryden, the manager of this place."

Hitomi smiled and bowed to him respectfully. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hitomi. And this is my best friend, Yukari."

"A pleasure to meet you two," Dryden said. "This is your first time? Wait, never mind. Of course it is. You can do anything you want just as long as you don't vandalize the stuff. You can eat, sing, play video games, your choice. There's a lot of options to choose from." Hitomi looked at the tables to see the delicious food. Hitomi unconsciously felt like she was drooling.

"Actually we're very hungry right now."

"Very hungry? Hehe, what happened? Did you forget you're lunch?" Hitomi and Yukari groaned at his question as he definitely hit home. "Oh, bad timing? So sorry. Well, let's get you well and fed. Can't have my customers faint over hunger." He paused as he had a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Tell you what. Since this is your first time here, it's on the house. Choose anything you like from the menu. I'll be at your service once I put out these posters. SO! If you will excuse me." With that, Dryden went on his way to deal with his tasks as manager.

"Wow! Dryden's so cool!!" Yukari stated as they sat themselves on her seat. "Manager's like him are RARE to find." Hitomi picked up a menu and started reading through. Looking at the options, Hitomi's mouth almost drooled.

"Well then, let's eat!"

* * *

After taking in Dryden's offer for free food and almost ordering every single thing on the menu, Hitomi was completely satisfied. Hitomi certainly would place this as her number one hang out place from now on. "Dryden-san! You're food here is great!" Hitomi complimented when Dryden started cleaning off the four dirty dishes from their table.

"Why, thank you, Hitomi-chan," said Dryden. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it! I must admit that I never seen anyone with such a big appetite." Hitomi simply smiled and waved her hand as if it were nothing. "Well, make yourselves at home. I'll be expecting you guys to be my #1 customers."

"Of course! We'll definitely be!" As Dryden left, Hitomi took the time to admire the place. For a small place, it sure had a lot of the things appeal to every age group. Near the windows, several video game stations were placed there, ranging from fighting to racing games, Dance Dance Revolution, and other games that Hitomi will definitely look into. Maybe her brother would love to go here since there were some games in here he was completely obsessed over. While most of the games were downstairs, upstairs was the karaoke area. She could hear people singing and having fun. She would definitely check it out. There was a little pub area for adults, but that won't open until later tonight when all the underage kids were gone. For now, it was open to the kids and provided shakes, ice cream, and all sorts of drinks not related to alcohol. Hitomi smiled and almost laughed when she saw some adults coming in to find a lot kids in a pub. She wondered if they read the posters Dryden put out. She looked around a little more until her eyes set on a familiar person sitting on one of the dining tables near the windows. Hitomi's eyes widened.

"Hey, isn't that Ikkoku-kun?" asked Yukari when she noticed him as well. "What do you know? A GOOD find always have a good catch, ne?" Yukari winked at Hitomi.

Hitomi gave Yukari a stern look. "Yukari, don't you have Amano-sempai?"

"Of course, but it's okay to look."

Hitomi sighed. Again, it was useless to talk to her friend when it comes to cute guys. Her eyes wandered off to him again, wondering if he heard Yukari's outburst. Luckily, he didn't as he continued to study on. Hitomi watched him for a while. He sat there, engrossed with his studies. He held an emotionless look on his face and did not once pay attention to the noisy atmosphere.

Something in the pit of her heart started to stir as she continued to watch him. She couldn't point it out, but she felt loneliness radiating from him. What was this feeling she experiencing? Somehow, she seemed to understand that. "What's up, Hitomi? You look dazed," Dryden suddenly said, causing Hitomi breakout of her dreamy state.

"Oh, n-nothing really," Hitomi lied as she took a sip of her drink. Dryden stared off to the same place she was looking at interested in what caught her eye. His eyes seem to widen when he saw the person on that table, studying away. "Do you know that person, Hitomi?" asked Dryden observantly. Hitomi took her gaze from the boy and looked at Dryden.

"Kind of," Hitomi said. "Although we weren't in good terms when we first met each other." Her gaze returned to him. "Honestly, he's total mystery to me. I want to get to know him more. When I look at him there, he seems kind of lonely." An understanding look appeared in Hitomi's eyes as she continued to gaze at him, switching a page from time to time.

"He's a regular, you know." Hitomi suddenly turned away at the sound of Dryden's voice, surprised. A smile appeared on Dryden's face, which made Hitomi curious. Why would he be smiling?

"A regular?" she asked to clarify.

"Of course. He always comes here to eat and study. On that same table. He only remains there. Not once did I see him go to the arcade or mingle with his age group. It seems his only purpose here is to study."

Hitomi looked at the man to see him flip another page of his notebook. "Does…he have friends?" Hitomi surprised herself. What made her ask that? She doesn't know herself. But somehow, her mind was telling her to ask that.

Dryden scratched his head, a solemn look in his eyes. "I'm not quite sure." Hitomi knew that there was more to this boy than what Dryden said. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. The drive to be friends with him drove her even more. Nodding her head, she stood up from her seat and walked her way over there. Dryden and Yukari watched with interest as Dryden took Hitomi's seat.

"How do I make myself known to him?" Hitomi wondered as she looked around her surroundings to find anything to give an excuse to sit there with him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a waiter holding a chocolate milkshake who was walking to her table. She didn't order a milkshake. Hitomi smiled and knew instantly what to do. She went to the waiter and asked if she can take that to him.

"Does she know that's not her order?" Yukari asked. "What in the world is she doing?"

"I don't know, but Hitomi is something else," Dryden said with a look of interest in his eyes. "Hmm…what in the world Takahashi is doing? He should know that chocolate milkshake is not hers. It's for that guy." The waiter, known as Takahashi, simply shrugged and gave it to her. Dryden smiled irritably. "I should really talk to Takahashi."

"Excuse me, I believe this is yours," Hitomi said as she placed the milkshake on the table. He saw the milkshake and looked up. He nearly jumped out of his seat when he saw Hitomi, smiling.

"Y-You!" he retorted. "W-what are you doing here?"

"The waiter gave me the wrong drink," she said. "So, I'm assuming this is yours."

He sighed and closed his notebook. "Why did you bring it when the waiter could have?"

"Hmm, that's a question," Hitomi replied innocently as she sat herself comfortably on a chair across from him. "He just shrugged and gave to me. He went through that door over there."

"I REALLY should talk to Takahashi," Dryden said again, one of his eyebrows twitching annoyingly.

"Besides," Hitomi continued as she placed the drink in front of him. "I haven't seen you a while."

"Why? Whatever my business is none of your concern," he retorted.

"Why are you so uptight about it?" she asked. "Talking to someone is not something bad or anything. Do I need to ask permission to talk to you? I'm only trying to bring up a conversation."

Suddenly, just when she was getting settled into her seat, he started packing all his stuff. "Wait, where are you going?" Hitomi asked as she stood up, totally not prepared for this dilemma.

"Don't bother me," he bluntly said as he slung his messenger bag around his shoulder. "I don't want to talk. I have other things to do."

"What other things?"

"Leave me alone!" he yelled, causing Hitomi to freeze. He quickly turned away and retreated, leaving Hitomi to watch his form disappear. A thoughtful frown crossed Hitomi's face. Slowly, she closed eyes, sat herself back on the seat, and leaned her face against her hands.

"Wow," Hitomi heard Yukari's voice a moment later, hearing the surprised and suspicious tone in her voice. Yukari sat on the seat where he once was. "I've never seen such behavior from a person before." Hitomi simply sighed. She had no comment. Something truly hit her and she couldn't point it out. "Maybe…he does deserve to be alone." Dryden, who was now standing next to the table, looked at Yukari incredulously, his expression dropped a little at Yukari's remark.

"Yukar-"

"Yukari. That's a cruel thing to say," Hitomi said, causing Dryden to step back. He stopped himself the moment he saw Hitomi looked up and gazed at her best friend disapprovingly at her comment. "No one deserves to be alone." A sad, understanding look appeared on Hitomi's face as she gazed at her friend right to her soul. "Besides, we can't assume a person's personality just like that. We'd be worse than those ganguro girls at our school." Hitomi knew. He wasn't like this all the time. She knew since she had been observing him since the day she met him. "Besides, I don't…think he's like that. Yes, he may be a jerk and a hot-head, but…I just don't believe it." Yukari looked away after Hitomi's remark as she knew Hitomi was right.

"Why are you so relentless, Hitomi-chan?" Dryden suddenly questioned. Hitomi looked up, confused, "Why are you so determined to talk to him? I'm not sure what you're guys' history, but you look as though you tried many times to talk to him. What are your intentions?

Hitomi closed her eyes in though again. She knew her purpose as to why she wanted to talk to him so much. Other people would easily dismiss him and never talk to him. But Hitomi wasn't like that. She knew what she wanted. "Well," Hitomi said. "I feel connected to him, you know. I can't explain it, but something about him…keeps me drawn. I want to know who he actual is." Hitomi looked at Dryden's gaze to prove that she wanted to do this. With a smile, he nodded his head.

"You are something else, Hitomi," Dryden concluded as he crossed his arms over his chest comfortably. "You don't look like the type of person to judge a person by their actions.

Hitomi shook her head. "I can understand how it feels, you know…being alone…" Hitomi decided to call it a day and stood up from her seat. Just before she headed over to her original seat, something caught the corner of her eye. On the ground was a blue notebook. "Huh? What's this?" Hitomi kneeled down and grabbed the notebook. She inspected the notebook as Dryden and Yukari looked at the notebook. Hitomi opened the notebook. Instantly, her sight was filled with writings that confused her mind. She saw numbers but no explanations that she could understand. "W-what in the world is this?" she asked as she turned each page. Each page had its unique writing. As she went further, it got harder to read.

"Eh? Let me see," Yukari said and grabbed the notebook from Hitomi. She peered into the notebook. "Whoa! That already gave me a headache." Hitomi inspected the notebook a little more before shutting it to look at the back and front once more. She wanted to know what kind of notebook was this. In the front, she found a white square label. There was a simple inscription, written in permanent marker and in a writing style Hitomi knew.

"Van…?" Hitomi read out loud, causing Dryden to lookup.

"What are you looking at?" he asked. Hitomi gave the notebook to Dryden and he too looked through it. He flipped through each page and closed it after a few moments. He smiled and shook his head as he gave the notebook back to Hitomi. "Hehe, so he still uses it."

"Huh?" both Hitomi and Yukari explained out loud.

Dryden smiled as he lifted the notebook and point at it with his free hand. "I know who this belongs to. I must say, I'm impressed."

Hitomi shook her head. "Wait…so this notebook is…Ikkoku-kun…"

Dryden nodded his head slowly. "It's definitely his. This notebook is for his math class."

"EH?!" Hitomi exclaimed.

"No wonder I can't understand it. I HATE math!" Yukari retorted.

"So then, why does he write like this?"

"Multiple reasons," Dryden simply stated. "Maybe he doesn't want anyone to copy his notes. Or maybe he uses it to help his mind store his notes for a long period of time."

Hitomi looked at the notebook once more and looked at his name. A smile appeared on her face. "Van, huh? So his name is Van…"

Dryden smiled and started walking off. Before he got back to work, he turned to Hitomi one last time. "This is a good chance for you Hitomi. You have a chance to speak to him."

"Really?"

Dryden nodded his head. "I can tell you what school he goes to."

* * *

Hitomi was in utter shock to find herself in such a prestigious private high school in Tokyo the next day. She knew this school very well as her brother went here before. She remembered the day when he was accepted into this school. She remembered her family holding a huge celebration for his entrance, as well as his graduation and acceptance to Tokyo U thanks to this school. She would never forget the happy face he wore on those happy occasions.

At the front gate, she could see the students wearing the same uniform as Van did, with the blazer, dress pants, loafers, although Van wears sneakers, and the school's emblem on the right front side. The girls wore the same color code and style, but the dress pants were replaced with a green-blue plaided skirt. She finds herself out of place with her uniform, but it didn't matter. Her only motive was to find Van. Hitomi was about to step forward when she felt like she was being watched. She stopped and immediately turned, looking at every corner to make sure. "That same feeling," she said, looking down at the necklace that now dangled around her neck. "Could they be…?" Flashbacks of the previous night struck her mind. She shook her head. "No, they're no longer here. He made sure of it. So, there's nothing to worry about, right?"

Hitomi braved the halls of Van' school, amazed how it looked a lot cleaner and expensive looking than her school. She caught the eyes of every student who were looking at her as if she was crazy. Hitomi simply smiled and continued her way through the halls. She soon found herself in the inner courtyard of the school.

"Where could he be in such a time like this?" Hitomi wondered. She began looking through every area, thinking of places that he would be. So far, nothing was going right. As she walked down the halls, two girls were coming up to her.

"Excuse me, are you having trouble finding something?" one of the girls asked with a smile. "We noticed that you were looking for something."

Hitomi blinked in surprise. "Umm…well… I was wondering if you know anyone by the name of Van?" The two girls looked at each other after Hitomi asked. It was silent for a few moments. Hitomi thought she said something wrong. She was about to ask again when they suddenly screamed like fan girls.

"Van-sama!" they both gleamed enthusiastically. "He is so dreamy! I can't wait to see him!"

"I'm going to ask if he wants share a lunch with me!"

"No! He's going to say yes to me."

Hitomi felt like she was in one of those high school anime shows she watched with her brother. Somehow, there would always be a fan club of a cute guy in school. She never thought she would witness such a thing in the real world. Since the two girls were too engrossed in gushing over Van, she made her way back outside. "This isn't going to work out," she sighed. Hitomi took a good look of her surroundings to find herself in the sports area of the school. "This is even worse! I'm not sure if he plays sports!"

"Hey, look at this!" From afar, Hitomi could see two freshmen students talking amongst each other, gathering around the entrance of a gym not too far away.

"WOW! Did you see that? He flows so smoothly! Like…a river!" From the appearance of their clothes, Hitomi assumed they were from Kendo club. Hitomi decided to see what was going on. She tried to see, but much of the view was blocked by all the heads poking into the entrance.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" said an upper classman. "You're supposed to be practicing!" All the freshmen scattered and immediately went back to their practice. Hitomi could see the upper classmen took interest in her.

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "_Great_," Hitomi thought bitterly.

"Hey there, are you lost?" he asked with a flirty smile on his lips.

Hitomi decided to play along with him and pretended to be lost. "Well…umm…"

"If you're lost, you surely need a guide to help you around. I'll gladly take the part if you want me to."

Hitomi wondered if this guy was really pathetic. "That's-"

"How about I take you out of this school once I finish the tour. We can eat, karaoke all night…"

This guy was really working on her last nerve. Can't he see that she doesn't want anything to do with him? But he kept on going and going. Hitomi looked at his face. "Wait…doesn't he look familiar?"

"What's your name?"

He had a lot of nerve forgetting to ask her name before doing all that. Just as she was ready to beat the guy to a pulp, a loud, booming voice came from the gym. "OI! TAKAHASHI!! WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE DOING OUT HERE!!"

Hitomi's mind clicked at the sound of the voice. "Wait…could that be…?"

"Ah!" the flirter Takahashi began nervously. "Er…sensei…well…"

Hitomi looked into the direction of that voice. Hitomi almost dropped down to the floor when that voice she recognized so well was her brother.

"Oh don't "well" me! And who in the world you are talking t-"Her brother immediately stopped midway. Hitomi smiled innocently as she did a small wave of her hand to her brother. "AHH!!" Mamoru pointed a finger at her and stomped her way over there. "Hito-chan!"

"Err…surprise?" Hitomi said lamely. She didn't know what to do as she was quite stupefied.

"Surprise. Surprise? Surprise, she says," Mamoru exasperated. "Damn right I'm surprised! What are you doing here?!"

Hitomi scratched her chin timidly. Everything was happening so fast for her. "Well…you see…"

"Don't tell me you're talking to this lazy, stupid student of mine?" he asked as he directed his gaze accusingly to the now squirming Takahashi who was pale and sweating profusely. Takahashi had his eyes on Hitomi, pleading inwardly that she would make some excuse.

"Of course not!" Hitomi replied curtly, surprised that he had the audacity to do such a thing, especially to his superior. "Actually, Oniichan, this guy, he suddenly came up to me. He asked me all these uncomfortable questions."

"Oh DID he?" Mamoru asked with a look that was ready to kill. He crossed his arms and looked at Takahashi accusingly. "And…WHAT kind of questions did he ask, Hito-chan?"

"I honestly don't know. I was just walking around campus when he suddenly came up to me. He was asking if I could enlist him as his permanent tour guide for this school. Well, he made himself one without my consent. He also said that he wanted to take me to other places outside of school." Mamoru began to shake in rage. "He wanted to take me to karaoke, this fancy restaurant he wanted to take me."

"_Not to mention I wanted to kick his ass right at that point," _Hitomi thought to herself. "He also did mention he wanted to take me this love hotel." Hitomi wanted to laugh. She just added that for kicks. "What's a love hotel, Oniichan?"

That did it. Mamoru was already rolling up his sleeves. "Ah, ha!" he exclaimed, turning abruptly to him. "Takahashi, there is one thing I would like for you to do." Takahashi was too scared to even reply. He simply nodded his head and gulped. An evil smirk appeared on Mamoru's face. "Run!" With those words, Takahashi ran for his life. "I'll teach you to mess with my little sister like that! I'm gonna make sure no one would miss you! Where's my bat and shovel! Oi!"

"Oniichan, wait!" Hitomi said before Mamoru would trample the guy to death. There was a question that was bugging her the entire time. "What are you doing here?"

Mamoru's angry streak immediately vanished the moment Hitomi bluntly asked her question. Nervously, he scratched his head. "That! Well…"

Hitomi raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Did you REALLY graduate high school?"

"Well…no…wait…OF COURSE I DID! It's just that…well…you weren't supposed to know I work here and…HEY!" He hit the back of Hitomi's head, causing her to cringe. "Don't change the subject. I'm the ONE who should be wondering why you are here when you're supposed to be at school right now."

Hitomi rubbed the back of her head. "It's half day today. And practice was cancelled. I came here to look for someone."

"Someone?" Mamoru asked, wide-eyed. "Wait, you don't suppose it's…"

"No, not him." Hitomi reached for her bag and opened it, retrieving the notebook. "This is the person I am looking for." She handed the notebook to him. "I wanted to give this back to him. I found it yesterday at one of the tables at Organ Pub. Do you know who he is?" Mamoru inspected the notebook and immediately looked at the front. His eyes widened when he saw the name. He flipped through the notebook just to be sure.

Noticing Mamoru's unexpected reaction, Hitomi too was curious. "Oniichan, what is it?"

He shut the book. "Van, huh? Do you know him?"

"Not…really. I accidentally bumped into him that one day. After that, I bumped into him almost every day. Why? Do you?"

Mamoru didn't respond immediately as he was in deep thought. "Actually, I do," he was finally able to say. He motioned Hitomi to come with him to the gym. Hitomi blinked a few times at her brother's actions. As they stopped in front of the entrance, Hitomi peered into the gym. Sure enough, he was in there. For a senior, he was pretty tall and stood out from the rest of the students. Even though he was wearing the kendo gear, she knew where he was immediately. He was in the middle of a match, with the freshmen and other teammates watching in anticipation.

"Yah!" he yelled and nailed his opponent. Hitomi was completely amazed by such prowess Van possessed in that single strike of his. It was almost perfect.

"Amazing, huh?" Mamoru asked. Hitomi could only nod as she was astounded. "That's what you expect from the school's top kendo player."

"Eh?" She turned to Mamoru with a look that told him to explain.

"Van's the current top player ever since I graduated. He won nationals for almost three years. He is quite the valuable player." Hitomi turned back to see Van taking off the mask, revealing his handsome features with his unruly hair matted onto his face because of the sweat. "I must say. I'm impressed the way he writes his notes. He really has improved," Mamoru said, a smile forming on his lips.

"How do you know him?"

"He was here on his first year when I was beginning my third year here. I knew him when he joined Kendo. The moment he stepped through those doors, he emanates this aura. He possesses something different that no one in this team could ever reach. When he did his first match with one of the teammates back in the first year, he immediately finished the match." They both watch Van place the protective mask back on and returned to play his next match. "Not only he is athletic, he is a very intelligent guy. This notebook here is his math notebook. I taught him how to avoid someone trying to copy your work. Most of the students here take smart kids for granted and let them do the hard work. From what I can see, he developed his own method." Van avoided another attack from his opponent. After breaking the clash between them, Van twirled his sword a bit and prepared for the next move. "He will be graduating this school with honors. He already is well on his way to take the college exams head on. Every university around here knows about him. They are keeping an eye him, hoping he would choose their school. They are looking for that kind of student." Van caught his opponent and won the match once again. He finally stepped out of the arena and took off his gear. Mamoru's eyes suddenly saddened when Hitomi was about to ask him another question regarding Van. "With those brains and athletic skills, it comes with a price."

Hitomi watched as Van took his water and sat himself far away from his teammates. While he sat down, many of his upper class teammates looked at him with contempt. Some had mixed emotions when they looked at him. While others had loath in their eyes. Hitomi thought about it more when she remembered the group of people watching Van near the entrance. They were all lower classmen like herself.

"Tch, typical. He always wins," said the group sitting not too far away from Hitomi.

"He thinks he's so cool just because he can do all these things. Why did he come to our school in the first place? He's making our lives miserable."

Hitomi's eyes narrowed after hearing this, eyes watery in the bottom of the rims. She was clenching the strap of her schoolbag as tightly as possible. "Teenagers these days. They are so filled with contempt. That's the price Van gets for being superior than anyone in this school. He doesn't even act superior."

Through the entire practice, Van continued his Kendo practice. During that time, no one came up to talk to him. They only sat among themselves and continue to envy his presence. They continuously talked behind his back, thinking they were better than him. Mamoru watched along with Hitomi.

"He got all these offers to graduate early and go into these elite colleges. But, he refused and decided to go through the entire high school year. I just don't understand his intentions sometimes." Mamoru turned to the students angrily. "Oi! Stop sitting around and gloating over your stupid superiority when you are not. You're not even practicing! This is a team, you idiots! Act like it!" The students immediately went back to their practice, running to another part of the gym to practice.

"Oniichan," Hitomi suddenly said, causing Mamoru to stop and look at her. "Do…do they call him names?"

Mamoru looked at the ground. "_Lone Wolf_," he said. "He never once interacted with his classmates. I don't think he has any friends. He's always alone, studying away like there is no tomorrow. But, you know, it is hard for him to find people to connect with in this school with so many kids acting like the way they do."

"That must be horrible, living such a life in high school," Hitomi said sympathetically.

"But, hopefully, you talking to him would change all that," Mamoru said as he looked at his watch.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Hitomi asked incredulously.

Mamoru started walking farther into the gym. "Practice is almost over, Hito-chan. Make sure you return that to him." With that, he waved to her and started giving directions to the class, specifically to the slackers who talked behind Van's back. Hitomi watched as Van approached Mamoru. A proud smile appeared on Mamoru's face and patted Van's shoulder. "What does Oniichan see in Van? What is their relationship?" Hitomi wondered.

* * *

Hitomi decided to wait for Van at the gates after talking to her brother. She thought it would be weird if he saw her there.

_"Chosen one…"_

Hitomi suddenly whirled around after hearing that mysterious voice, surprise etched all over her face. She looked around more. She saw no one suspicious. With a sigh, Hitomi relaxed herself and leaned against the brick wall. For some reason, she can't help but feel a sinking feeling.

Right at that moment, Van came out, all dressed in his uniform. She clenched the notebook nervously as she felt her heart beat a mile per minute. Slowly, she began to step forward. He didn't seem to notice her. What should she do to get his attention? Should she call him by his nickname? Her mind was lost, but she managed to utter out-

"Van!"

Immediately, Van's body stiffened as he stopped walking. Clearly, he was a bit shock at the response when he turned to her with wide eyes. Their eyes met at that moment, none of them making a move to get close to each other.

Hitomi looked at the ground at first, contemplating whether she should go first or not. With another sigh, she went to him courageously. She smiled the best she could. "Hi Van."

"H-how do you know I go here? How do you know my name?" he asked incredulously.

"Dryden-san told me," she said. "It also says so in this notebook you left yesterday at the Organ Pub." She extended the notebook to him. "Here."

Van looked down and saw his notebook in Hitomi's hand. "Why?" he asked as he grabbed the notebook from her hands. "Why are you doing this?"

"Nothing really. I just wanted to be-" She couldn't finish.

A frown appeared on his face. He abruptly turned his back and started walking away. "That's a load of bull," he stated bluntly. Hitomi knew he must had figured out her intent. "Don't waste your time. I'm not worth it."

Fumed, Hitomi walked towards him with a determined look in her eyes. She truly wanted to get rid of his hot-headed, stubborn personality. "Load of bull? Why would you think that?"

"Because I know!" he retorted as he stopped and looked into her eyes. "What will come from being friends with me? Nothing! There's no point! It's completely useless!"

"Why? How is it useless?" Hitomi retorted back.

"Because! The only reason people make friends is to use them for their own purpose!" he bluntly yelled, causing Hitomi to be taken back by such hard words. The tone he voiced out was cold and sorrowful, making Hitomi feel a bit scared. Slowly, he looked at the ground, with his bangs covering his eyes. "People will hurt others. People turn their backs on each other. People would only choose those who benefit them." He slightly lifted his head. "I won't be used like that. I won't fall for that trap." Van gave Hitomi a fierce look in his eyes as he fully lifted his head to her. That look made her froze in place. After a moment of silence, he started walking away again.

Is this what happens when someone was alone for so long? He held such bitter words. What happened to him that made him think like that? Hitomi had an idea. Despite his cold attitude, Hitomi refused to give up. "You're wrong," she rebutted, causing Van to stop. "Not all people are like that. Friendship is not like that at all."

He violently whirled around. "Then, what is this friendship you know so much about? Enlighten me!" Hitomi froze. What would she say? Defining friendship and describing it was really complex as it varies from person to person. She knew very well what friendship was as she had friends herself. But, she couldn't find the words to describe it. The prolong silence was taken the wrong way as Van shook his head.

"See? You don't know either. Besides, how do I know you are not like those people? How do I know you are not a backstabber?" His eyes narrowed as cold and stoic as he could possibly make it. "Fake. All people are fake. Maybe you're fake too."

Her heart began to hurt as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"People like you should drown."

Hitomi didn't know what came over her. But, suddenly, his words were cut out as a slapping sound rang throughout the entire area. Right after that slap, a red rash appeared on his left cheek.

"How can you say such things?!" Hitomi cried as more of her tears cascaded down her cheeks. She jerked her head emotionally, causing them to leap into the air as she talked. "Yes, most people are fake. They backstab, envious at others, and use you as the only means of personal gain. They would even go so low as to see them suffer." Hitomi shook her head. "But, I would drop dead if I ever did that to someone. I don't understand why people do that? What makes them incline to do such a thing.?" She lowered her head as her hands shock with emotion by her sides. "What have I ever done to you? All I did was try to talk to you because I want to. No personal gain or anything. I don't need anything from you. The moment I met, I felt something that I never felt before. I thought there was a connection between us. I…I truly wanted to get know you."

Hitomi looked into his eyes. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and pain. "Maybe…I was wrong about you. I thought you were this way because the way people treated you. I thought I would be the one to change all that loneliness in your heart. But, I guess you'll always be the lone wolf."

She couldn't take it anymore and ran as far away from Van. Hitomi understood how felt; being betrayed by people who you call as friends. She knew how it felt to be backstabbed. But, she was able to friends and understood everything. By making the right friends, she was able to make friends without worrying about betrayal or anything. By the time Hitomi stopped, she was a few blocks away from the school. With a sigh, she leaned against the side of a building she stopped in front of. "I was so stupid," Hitomi said out loud sadly. "I knew I shouldn't have involved myself. He's so absorbed in his world. I tried, but it's not working. In the end, I only got hurt. I wish…I wish I never met him." Hitomi decided to go home since it was useless to try again. She needed to rest after such a long day. With a sigh, she leaned off the building and began walking back to the main crossroad.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Hitomi's eyes suddenly widened by this sudden intrusion. Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain on the side of her head and her world suddenly turned black.

* * *

_The first thing that came through Hitomi's mind was the sound of a little girl crying. Hitomi opened her eyes to find a little girl a distance away in front of her. The little girl was in a playground, where a lot of kids were playing. She was in the sandbox that was the center of the playground, sitting on its edges, crouching with her tiny knees covering her face. The kids around her did not come near as they were in their own groups and playing in their own areas of choice. They did not bother looking at her and asking her to join. _

_"Why?" the little girl asked sadly. "Why is no one playing with me?" Hitomi watched as the girl continued to cry and questioned about herself to find any reason. Hitomi wanted to go over there and comfort the little girl._

_"Daijobu," a voice suddenly said from behind, causing the little girl to look up. This stopped Hitomi from going over there. "I'll play with you." Hitomi couldn't see who the kid that talked to the little girl was. Before she could take a good look at the owner of the voice, the whole scene flashed before her eyes._

* * *

Slowly, Hitomi opened her eyes. She was no longer that playground with the little girl and the mysterious kid who offered to play with her. She was back in reality with a very sharp pain coming from the side of her head.

"Eh? W-where am I?" Unconsciously, she tried reaching for the side of her head to comfort the sharp, aching pain. But, she can't as she found her hands were tied. She looked at herself to find that her legs were also tied. Hitomi's mind was going crazy now. What had happened to her? As she tried to recall what happened, she found herself observing her surroundings. She thought she was in reality. But, she wasn't. Immediately, Hitomi knew where she was.

She was back in the dark world.

This time, instead of the park being void of life, with the lifeless trees and hollow wind, she found herself in a building. Or at least she thought it was a building. The roof was completely destroyed as the dark sky was visible. The wooden floors had some holes in certain places. On her right, there were chairs on the floor, with basketballs and soccer balls that lay flat on the floor. Tennis rackets were broken into pieces. Baseballs bats were broken in halves. What stood out the most that Hitomi find were the Kendo sticks and gear. "I…must be in a gym," Hitomi said thoughtfully to herself. "But, who's gym?"

Suddenly, realization dawned on her. Hitomi's eyes suddenly saddened. "Van," she whispered his name out. She remembered the harsh words he spoke to her when she only wanted to return the notebook to him. She did nothing to make him believe the friendship that he learned through his experience. She was still hurt by his words. "Will you always remain like that? I thought I could change all that. But, it's pointless, huh?"

Footsteps were heard and Hitomi immediately felt that feeling. That feeling felt threatening and dangerous. Another thought came across her mind that would explain the bound hands and feet and the pain in the side of her head. Hitomi immediately put her defenses up. As the footsteps drew closer, Hitomi was stricken when she felt the same dark aura she felt. However, this aura felt much stronger than the ones before. Suddenly, the footsteps halted.

"Chosen one…"

Compelled to see who she was up against, Hitomi looked up to find herself looking at another dark-caped man. This time, the cape was not completely covering the front. Armor was seen in the entire body, with a belt around the waste. The armor mirrored his physique. She could see the hilt of the sword hanging on his left hip. She hated the name she was identified by these strangers. She looked away in disgust. "I am not the Chosen for the last time," Hitomi stated. "There is nothing I can do."

"You can never defy your fate, girl. Every lead is pointing to you. You are one interesting person to observe out of all these useless humans in this world."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes. "_So someone was watching me after all. That's why he was able to find a way to get to me when I'm vulnerable," _she thought bitterly.

"You are the one who will prevent our leader's dream to come true. With the rising power in you, we must prevent that from growing and letting you find the guardians."

Hitomi began to rethink about the events of her life that could lead her to this point. All the dreams she's been having, her visions, and the power to predict were leading her to something big that made these strangers believe that she was the one. She had no idea that everything could lead to this. But, she couldn't let herself believe that. She still believed it was a mistake. She still believed that they were making a mistake.

"You cannot deny," the stranger spoke once again, repeating his words to her. "Everything that our leader prophesized all lead to you. We must end this madness." His eyes narrowed icily towards Hitomi. "We would never be in this mess if it weren't for you." Hitomi was surprised by his words. What could possibly make this her fault? Slowly, the man removed the hood, revealing his face. Hitomi's eyes widened when she saw his face. She never saw such a horrible sight. The stranger's face was deformed, bruised, and battered. Screws were placed on top of his head that looked like the only thing that could hold the face together.

"This face symbolizes all the things we have to go through to search for you. We could no longer go back to our normal lives because of you." Using his right hand, he reached for the sword and unsheathed it. Slowly, he backed away as he began to generate his dark powers within his sword. Hitomi instantly knew this feeling when she saw the aura. Without a doubt, it brought shivers down her spine. She had no way to escape as her whole entire body was bound. Fear was the in only thing she could do. She could see the other five men mimic their boss as they prepare themselves to attack. In unison, they swung with full force.

Just as she was thinking she was going to die, the world around her suddenly slowed. The powerful dark aura her enemies hurled slowed. The winds projected from that aura slowed as well, her hair floating down and up in the same pace. Suddenly, she felt her heartbeat in her chest as it began to grow in pace. She felt something rising within her, as if she suddenly felt rejuvenated. The same comfortable warmth surrounded her once again. Her thoughts soon were lost and the pendant around her neck lit once again. It surrounded her entire body, causing the rope in her hands and feet to rip apart and set her free. Slowly, she stood up, with a confidence she never had before.

"_Believe in yourself…"_

The ones in armor watched in awe. "What's going on?" the boss screamed in surprise.

Hitomi's eyes suddenly opened. Her pupils were completely dilated with her usual green iris replaced with a darker color, making her look possessed. As the dark magic was only inches away, with one wave of her arm, she instantly cancelled the threat. With that one swing, the entire room burst with light, causing the opponents to stumble to the ground, their swords flew from their hands and into the walls.

As the winds died down, Hitomi gathered a white light in her hands. With one thrust, she covered the entire area with that light as her opponents lay there helplessly, screaming at the intensity of this power. Before long, that darkness disappeared as the world came back to reality, with the place neat and intake as it should be. The aura that surrounded Hitomi disappeared as the threat disappeared. Hitomi reopened her eyes, now back to normal, to gaze at the afternoon light of her own world. She was completely baffled. "How did that happen?" she wondered as she looked at her hands and body. Slowly, as she grew away from inspecting herself and the unknown power she somehow had, she took a careful inspection of the gym. There was a banner behind that had a school's emblem in the middle, with the school's name written in Kanji and Hiragana around the emblem. She was actually in the gym where Van was. The only difference was no one was here, with the exits all closed shut thanks to her kidnappers' doing and the time of day.

"You!" Hitomi looked to find them covering their faces once again. "You did this!" He was gathering power again. She was about to flee, but her entire body gave in and she fell to the ground. She was extremely exhausted. What happened to her made her body gave in as it was not use to the stress. But, just as she fell to the ground, she didn't feel the threatening aura she felt from these guys like before. They seem different.

"My powers," Hitomi heard one of the men say. "What happened to our powers?"

"And what happened to our strength that matches the Gods," said another as he tried to punch a hole floor. Only a dent was left on the floor. The boss started twitching angrily as he slowly he got up, getting his sword from the ground.

Hitomi knew that they figured it was her doing that made them the way they are. They immediately charged. Hitomi couldn't do anything and closed her eyes. Just as she declared her own death sentence, a huge crash was heard from the main entrance of the gym. The strangers immediately stopped and directed their attention to that place. Splinters fell everywhere from the bounded door, with the afternoon light lighting the gym. Hitomi lifted her head and saw someone amongst the debris. Slowly, lowering his leg from his powerful high kick, Hitomi's eyes widened.

"Van?!" Hitomi yelled, surprised. Out of all people, she never expected Van to come save the day. After he straightened himself, he confidently walked into the gym. Hitomi expected to find the lone wolf side himself projected into this. But this time he did not. He stopped when he was in the middle of the gym, his red-brown eyes gleaming with anger and determination. To Hitomi, she never saw such passion in someone before. She no longer sees the lone wolf persona that Van had that would make a person turn away.

"Who are you?!" the boss yelled, turning his whole entire body around. His comrades followed as well, curious to know this stranger.

"How did he know?" Hitomi wondered as she continued to watch.

"Baka," Van said suddenly as he began to remove his school blazer and throwing it to the ground. "I should be the one saying that." He rolled up his sleeves. "Who the hell do you think you are? Kidnapping and picking on a helpless person?!" He stomped his foot on the ground as he turned to them.

"Van…" Hitomi thought, feeling lightened by this.

"Ah! I know you," the boss suddenly said with smirk on his face. "You are that boy who let her run. I should be thanking. You let her come to us."

Hitomi instantly saw the change in Van's expression, even though it was brief. In a flash, guilt and concern was there. He continued to walk around them, ignoring every word the boss said. He was walking with patience, eyes scanning the area carefully, as if he was waiting for the exact moment to strike. The group began to talk, wondering the kid's motive.

"_No,"_ Hitomi thought. "_He can't fight them. They are not normal people." _She directly looked into his eyes when their gazes met. She looked at him pleadingly to stay back. She didn't want him to get involved. He might die if he did.

"What are trying to do? Start a fight?" said one as the group began to laugh. "Give me a break. How can such a petty person hit us with those puny hands?"

Hitomi held the look at him, begging him to go. Yet, his eyes never wavered. The expression remained the same. He was certainly determined to do what he wanted to do. As if reading her mind, he closed his eyes and shook his head. "_Ahou_," he said. He reopened his eyes and for the first time, his eyes gazed at her softly. "Daijobu. I won't let you get hurt. I'm not going to die that easily." Hitomi's widened and she blushed. This was the new side of Van she was not used to. His words, though, started ringing in her mind. Remotely, it felt familiar to her. Where had she heard that phase before?

It was evident that the enemies were being ignored. Van was still willing to fight and they were annoyed with his recklessness. Hitomi was about to give him a nod when her eyes spotted someone from behind. One of them charged at Van. "Look out!" Hitomi screamed as loud as she could. The enemy was too quick. He was right behind Van, swinging his leg towards Van's back. Hitomi scrunched her face, hoping the best for Van. Within inches from Van's back, in one move, Van whirled around and blocked the attack with his own kick. The strength in that kick caused the enemy to waver in his movements, surprised such strength was possessed by a mere human. Quickly he kicked with his other leg while in midair. Immediately, Van countered again with his other leg, completely wiping off the defense of his opponent. Spinning around one more time, Van kicked right onto his opponent's face, sending him off to the ground. He bucked at the sudden attack, but landed on his feet. Dashing towards him, Van jabbed the guy's stomach with his fists. With another swings from his leg, the opponent finally fell and skidded to the floor. Stretching his arms, Van turned around and moved forward, cracking his wrist in the process as he prepared himself for another attack.

Everyone was surprised, especially the boss as they never saw such strength in someone. Hitomi had serious, thoughtful expression in her eyes as she watched Van. "_He was able to defeat him with only a few moves. Why? I thought they were not human?" _Hitomi thought. She averted her eyes to her enemies to see the look of surprise in them. _"Could it be…that something I did…made their supernatural stuff go away?"_

The minions were all looking at each other, wondering what they should do. Just watching that stopped them in their tracks as their plans were foiled. "What are you doing?!" yelled the boss. "What can a mere human do?! Get him!!"

Two of them, unarmed, charged once their boss the command. They were fast, but not fast enough. Van immediately felt the first attacm from the person behind. He punched through only for Van to move aside. Van grabbed his arm and using the strength he could muster, he threw him over his shoulder to the ground. To his right, the other started punching and kicking at him. Van didn't have time to dodge and used his arms and legs to deflect the attacks. An opening came and Van punched right on the gut. Whirling around, Van did a powerful round house kick. Just as Van managed to get him and turned around, the first one Van fought got up and kicked Van right in the gut. Hitomi winced and watched with worry, hoping that nothing serious came.

He punched Van square in the face as Van skidded backwards. He smirked, thinking that move killed him. Van, however, was still on his two feet. Van lifted his head, wiping the blood off his right lip. Hitomi noted the seriousness in his eyes. Somehow, she had the feeling thing will get serious from here on out. Before, when this fight began, Van stood neutrally with his arms on his side and his legs spread shoulder length apart. It looked he wasn't prepared for anything. But, it seemed like he was only testing the waters. Van shook his hands and stretched, his left hand stretched slightly in front of him, palms facing the enemy. His right arm bended towards his chest, his hand clenched in a fist. His legs were similar as the arms, with his legs slightly bent. Hitomi was amazed at the way he posed. By that time, the two Van managed to hit stood up, ready to fight. With one jolt from his left leg, Van ran toward them. Hitomi could immediately feel the changes in Van's strength. This was going to be an interesting fight.

Van slid to the ground. With the support of his arms, he swung his legs towards their ankles. The two enemies dodge with a jump. "Tch!" Van uttered as he watched the one who hit him came down at him with a strong kick. Van lifted his leg and kicked the guy in the stomach. Van backflipped into standing position and jabbed at him a couple of times. Just as Van was about to do a critical move, he immediately dodged an attack from behind. At the same time, the two guys punched at the same time and Van backed off, letting them hit each other. As the guys fell back, Van jumped up and kicked the two guys using both of his legs. Turning around, Van charged at the other to his right. The enemy avoided his attack and stepped back, leading Van to the wall. Van used that wall and jumped towards him in an amazing speed.

Hitomi continued to watch Van fight as the enemies kept on coming after recovering from Van's critical moves. With the continuous fights, Van not once showed tiredness. He did get hit, he certainly sweat, but he didn't waver in strength and stamina, which truly amazed her to no ends. Van was on the ground with only three of them up as the other two finally fell unconscious. He immediately stood up, jumped, and kicked the guy on the head. As he landed on the ground, Van somersaulted kick him that immediately got him down.

Just as Hitomi watched Van did that mind-blowing move, her senses suddenly alerted her. Right behind Van as he was busy engaged in battle, the two remaining guys finally got up and managed to get their swords out of the wall. She looked at the ground to find anything useful. Right below her was a Kendo stick. Grabbing its handle, Hitomi stood up.

"Van!" she yelled, causing Van to look in her direction. Immediately, Van noticed the two having weapons in their hands.

"_Kuso!" _Van cursed.

"Here!" Hitomi yelled and threw the kendo stick towards Van. He immediately grabbed it and with one swing, Van struck the enemy's shoulder. The enemy moaned in pain and fell into unconsciousness.

"W-wow," Hitomi uttered, eyes wide out of amazement. The last remaining minion backed away a bit after seeing this. Van watched him, eyes narrowed as he went into his fighting stance he always use back in Kendo practice, with his back straightened, feet standing in front of each other, and Kendo stick stood erect in front of him.

"HAH!" A surprise attack came from behind.

"No!" Hitomi dashed forward and kicked the guy as much as she could muster with whatever remaining energy she had.

"Y-you!" Van exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm a damsel in distress," Hitomi said as she stood behind Van. "You're reckless, you know…"

"Tch! _Ahou," _he simply said. Two guys remain with swords in their hands. Despite Van holding a kendo stick, it was hard enough to knock someone unconscious. The way he fights with Kendo was different compared to what he did here. Hitomi frowned. How good was Van? Hitomi's attention broke when she heard them coming at them.

"Uh-oh. I forgot. I don't know how to fight people with weapons," Hitomi thought. Van was already ahead and demonstrated his skills as the top kendo player in his school. He moved without falter, avoiding every swing and every move. He looked like a samurai fighting against an actual enemy. With a good opening, Van hit the guy right in the side of his stomach, causing him to loosen his grip on his sword. With the amount of training Hitomi had in martial arts, she hit the guy with one of her high kicks that she demonstrated to Van not too long ago. The same manner was done to the others with her few punches and kicks. What remained now was their leader.

"How is it possible?" he asked. "My squad was known for its undefeated record. Yet, we were defeated by a mere human?"

Van had a strange look in his face on his face. Hitomi knew what he was thinking. How could he say "a mere human" when he was human himself? It was a good thing they all remain hidden. She didn't know what to do if Van knew about the situation she was in. Slowly, the leader angrily grabbed his sword from the ground. Hitomi looked at Van and noticed the change in him. Immediately, Hitomi knew Van was getting serious in hopes of defeating this guy. Van immediately ran, causing Hitomi to gasp. "Van, no! Wait!" Hitomi yelled, trying also to catch him up. Suddenly, her vision became blurry and she fell to the ground.

Both Van and leader saw this. The boss smirked and went straight to Hitomi. "Kanzaki!" Van yelled worriedly the moment he saw what the boss intended to do and ran towards her as well.

"I'm still weak," Hitomi said to herself, trying to wipe the fatigue from her eyes. Just as her vision focused, the boss was right in front with the sword already attacking her. Hitomi tried to cover up, but suddenly a shadow blocked her view. Right there, Van pushed Hitomi away, his Kendo stick broken in half. The sword went straight to the ground, missing Van by a mere inch. As Van floated back, the leader kicked him. Van blocked the attack as he was pushed back.

Van flipped to maintain his position and skidded until he was close to Hitomi. He kneeled on his knees, wincing with the pain in his arms. "Van," Hitomi said worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'm okay," he said. "Are you alright, Kanzaki?" Hitomi was caught surprise.

"Y-Yes, but I'm still feeling weak." He noticed the change in her voice and slightly turned his head, thinking she fainted. Hitomi shook her head as she knew what he was thinking. "No, it's not that. It's just that…I'm surprised you still remember my last name."

Van was a little surprise she knew what he was thinking, but nodded his head to convey his approval. He turned back to his enemy who was ready for his next move. "Who are these people?" Van managed to ask since it had been bothering him for a while.

"I-I don't know," Hitomi lied. "I can't recall what happened or what they wanted…"

"Tch! Whatever they are, they're strong. Especially him." Van looked down to find a sword on the ground. A thoughtful look came into his eyes as he went down to pick it up. Hitomi saw how troubled he looked when held that sword.

"Haah!" Hitomi watched as the leader came towards them. She quickly looked at Van to find him grasping the sword fervently, determination written on his face. "Uncle, gomen!" he suddenly said and rushed toward the boss. Hitomi tried to call his name, but nothing came out of her mouth. Right then, the leader swung at Van as Van swung his sword. Both swords clashed in that instant. Van was pushing as hard as he could towards the leader, but the leader pushed back, gaining the upper hand. Van gritted, anger in his red-brown eyes. He was using his legs to maintain his balance and strength.

"No use in trying boy! There's no way you could win with that strength of yours. Protecting her was useless! You trying be the hero is useless! You're useless!" Something sparked in him and it only made Van become stronger. Hitomi could see something growing in Van. A thought struck Van's mind and he immediately let go, causing the leader to lose balance. As the leader stumbled, Van flipped the blade and struck him hard on the stomach. Finally, with that one swing, the enemy fell.

Van panted heavily as he slowly kneeled to his knees, exhausted. "Van!" Hitomi cried as she ran to his aid. "Are you okay?" He continued to pant as Hitomi watched. She felt guilty. She never intended for this to happen. She didn't want anyone to get involved. She kneeled her head against his back shakily as tears began to come out. She could feel Van's body stiffen when she placed her head on him.

"I'm sorry," she managed to say. "I'm sorry." A look of surprise was on Van's face as he gazed at her. After the initial shock, Van turned his head and looked at the ground, his expression relaxed and relieved. For a while, the two sat like that in the empty gym. Hitomi's crying was the only thing that was heard as she continued to let her guilt out into the open. This was her first time ever feeling so much guilt in her entire life. She felt responsible for leading Van into this. She was still confused about him. She was still angry at him for what he did. Yet, she couldn't help but feel safe when he's around.

"Hai, hai, you can stop crying now," she heard him say. She lifted her head from him as he slowly gout up, dusting himself off. Hitomi frowned disapprovingly towards his attitude.

"What? After all this, you still intend act like the way you are?" He was about turn to rebuttal against what she said, but stopped as he looked down and closed his mouth. Hitomi was surprised that he was speechless as he always had something to say. It was a bit strange since. Silence fell between them and it kept growing and growing. Hitomi wondered if he'll ever say anything. Just as she was about to confirm her last conversation with him, he made a move. He slightly turned, showing the profile of his face to Hitomi. His expression was soft and remorseful. Hitomi stopped then.

"Listen," he said as he remained glue to the floor. "T-this…this is hard for me to say this. You don't have to forgive me or anything. I just-" His eyes closed. Slowly he turned his face to her fully, with an ever expressive look in his eyes. "Gomen…nasai." With that, he bowed and went on his way.

* * *

Hitomi didn't know what to say at that point as she watched him walk away. His words didn't register into her mind until a few minutes later. It hit her right then and she was about to call him, but he was already gone. She wondered why she was feeling so lost. Hitomi was really going to not get herself involved with him anymore. Yet, what he did for her began to change her mind. She couldn't think of anything else the whole day. Even while she was doing her homework, she found herself spaced out, looking out at the window. She thought about the day she first met Van as he appeared cold and arrogant. "Ikkoku-kun" was the name she would call him from that day forward. She remembered the many different personalities of himself that confused her to no end. She could never figure out who he truly was. Hitomi shook her head. "Why am I thinking about him? I thought I wouldn't think about him?"

But, her mind kept on wandering about him as she remembered his words and his expression earlier.

"_Gomen…nasai…"_

Why was she thinking about him so much? What other possibilities were there? Before she knew it, she found herself gazing out into the ocean in her favorite spot the next morning. Why was she here, she questioned herself. She didn't wake up early enough to enjoy this spot or grab a drink. What was she waiting for?

"Ah!" a voice gasped. Hitomi turned around to find the one person in her thoughts the entire time. Van stood there with a surprised look in his eyes. Hitomi didn't know what to say as they both stared at each other without exchange a word. While Hitomi continued to look at him, she began to realize something. No matter where she was, Van seemed to pop out of nowhere. He even was even by her side. The signs were all over the place. Right then, Hitomi knew why she was thinking about him. She knew why she was here. Sure, Van was a complete mystery. She knows she will be putting herself in tough situation trying to convince Van she was not like the group people he hated. But as long as he was here, she was fine. As long as she was by her side, she knows in time he will change. Van was here right now. It was all the answer she needed. Slowly, she stood up and gave him a smile, which grew when Van gave her a shocked look. "You're late," Hitomi said.

"Eh?!" was what uttered from him, still shocked. "Late?"

Hitomi nodded her head. "You'd always be here before me." Van simply scratched his head as he joined her. It felt weird that they were not bickering. It was a little too quiet for her taste.

"About your apology yesterday," Hitomi began, knowing Van was listening when he looked at her. With one big sigh, she turned to him. "I won't forgive you!" she solemnly said.

"N-NANI?!" he yelled in surprise.

Hitomi grinned evilly. "You did put me through a lot you know. You are one complex person. So why should I?"

"B-but, I came all the way…! And then…I really wanted to apologize to you!" he retorted as his hot-headed temper came back. "And what I get is this?! Kuso! I wasted my time rescuing you! Why did I do that, rescuing an idiot like you?! AHH!" Hitomi watched him get flustered over that simple remark. Maybe this was one side of him she knew. He would cover up what he really felt. At least one thing was solved about him. Hitomi immediately placed one finger in front of his eyes, causing him to stop. Hitomi laughed.

"Kidding!" she said as she continued to laugh.

Van instantly relaxed. "What is that about?" Van sighed as he scratched his head.

"I wanted to do that. It felt weird, seeing you so quiet," Hitomi continued to laugh as Van stood there, watching her laugh her head off like there was no tomorrow. After a while, they settled in gazing at the horizon. This time, it was not awkward between them. Hitomi never felt this inner peace before.

"You're right about one thing," Hitomi began as she looked at him. She pointed the scene before her as the sun slowly rose. "It does wash away your problems."

Van was visibly surprised. Hitomi still remembered his words. An understanding look crossed his features. Finally, a small smile appeared on his lips and nodded his head as he turned away. And so, they stood there, enjoying the new day they will face.

"_Ahou_, aren't you going to be late?" was one remark that ruined the moment. In that instant, he ran off. Hitomi immediately chased him, yelling at him for being such a jerk.

As the two began their day off as usual, with Hitomi being late for school and Van pushing her to go, they were unaware of a presence lurking behind them as he watched them run off to the nearest train station.

"Hitomi Kanzaki, eh?" he said as an evil smirk appeared on his lips, his unpredictable, red eyes gazing at Hitomi's smiling face. "I'll finally get you."

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

Author's Note: I hoped you enjoy this very long chapter. I bet you are all happy that Van came into the picture. I'm sorry if the chapter is so long. Aside from my nursing courses, this chapter was a bit tough, but I was happy to do it. For this chapter, I wanted to make Van and Hitomi's meeting as interesting as possible. I wanted to set the interactions between Van and Hitomi and time passing. I didn't want to make their meeting feel short and see a little development in the character's personality. Not too much, but it will develop as the story progresses. This was a fun chapter to write. The hardest thing for me was probably trying to incorporate martial moves and such (I was listening to Final Fantasy Advent Children Fighting theme with Tifa's fight against Luz, I think that's his name). I hope I'd portray Van really well. I know he's all angry, emotional, arrogant and stuff, but I think that's how he was in the first and second episode of Escaflowne, right? Dryden is also introduced. But, his character will be more in detail later. Next chapter, I will introduce another main character. Each chapter will introduce each character, set the drama between them, and set the little events that would lead to the big events in part 2. Again, I apologize for the long wait. Let me know if there any errors since I don't have beta reader. If you have any questions, send me a message or email me. Please review and let me know what you think. I hope enjoy it! Bye-bye!

-Kuti


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